American Father Held in Turks and Caicos Over Ammunition Speaks Out

Bryan Hagerich, a father of two who was held in Turks and Caicos for three months after police found ammunition in his luggage, is speaking out after being released.

Hagerich was arrested in February after hunting ammunition was found in his checked luggage while returning home from a family vacation. Although he pled guilty to possession of 20 rounds of ammunition, which he said he forgot was in his luggage, Hagerich was forced to stay in the Caribbean until his court case was completed, reports ABC News.

According to the outlet, the long-awaited date came on Friday, May 24, when a judge sentenced Hagerich to a suspended 52-week sentence. He was allowed to return to the U.S. after paying a $6,700 fine.

“Home is obviously easy,” Hagerich, who was facing a mandatory minimum of 12 years, said in a sit-down interview with ABC News after arriving back to his home state of Pennsylvania. “Prison is a whole different feeling that even to this day right now, I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for it.”

During the interview, Hagerich sat alongside his wife Ashley, who recalled packing two suitcases for her husband in preparation for his sentencing.

“He sent me a list of everything that he would’ve needed for prison. We brought down the green suitcase, and that was the ‘not good suitcase,’ ” she said. The couple both referred to the green suitcase as the “doomsday” suitcase.

“The black suitcase was home. The green suitcase was doomsday,” added Ashley.

Turks and Caicos Premier Washington Misick spoke out after Hagerich’s sentencing, expressing in a press release that “justice has been served as the law intended.”

“As we have said, The Firearms Act includes consideration for exceptional circumstances and today’s decision reflects our commitment to judicial independence along with upholding the law. Residents and visitors can be confident that the Turks and Caicos Islands are dedicated to safety and compassion as we protect the safety and rights of all,” Misick said

He continued by stating that “in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the law stands firm and applies to everyone equally, without exception.”

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who previously met with Hagerich and the four other Americans detained on similar charges, said that Turks and Caicos officials “made clear that they wanted this situation resolved.”

“They recognized that Bryan and the other detained Americans are not gunrunners – they are just people who made a mistake. I’m grateful that the judge recognized that the right thing to do was to send Bryan home,” said Fetterman in a press release statement.

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The other detained Americans include Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Tyler Wenrich of Virginia, and Sharitta Shinise Grier of Florida. They are out on bail and are not allowed to leave Turks and Caicos as they await sentencing, reports ABC News.

According to the outlet, the other detained American is Michael Lee Evans of Texas, who is also out on bail and awaiting sentencing but was able to leave the Caribbean due to a medical condition.