PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos — An American man who was facing up to 12 years in jail on this Caribbean island for bringing 20 rounds of ammunition on a vacation has been freed after a court ruling Friday.
Bryan Hagerich was arrested in February while on a vacation with his wife and two children. He pleaded guilty to bringing the bullets in his luggage and argued that he should be released because of the time he’s already served and his admission of guilt.
At Hagerich’s sentencing hearing, at the nation’s Supreme Court on the island of Providenciales, Judge Tanya Lobban Jackson sentenced him to “52 weeks but 12 months suspended,” meaning he will not serve any time in jail.
Jackson said she found exceptional circumstances for Hagerich, and cited that he had unintentionally brought the ammunition to the island, the impact that his arrest has had on his daughter and that he has no criminal background.
The judge told Hagerich to…
