Pennsylvania man arrested in Turks and Caicos for ammo found in bag kisses children at airport after returning to US

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — An American tourist arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for possessing ammunition in his luggage returned home to western Pennsylvania on Friday.

After a months-long ordeal, Bryan Hagerich of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, was given a 52-week suspended sentence Friday, allowing him to return home after paying a $6,700 fine.

Hagerich landed at Pittsburgh International Airport around 9:30 p.m. Friday and hugged his children after getting off the escalator to collect luggage. Hagerich held her children in the air for about 15 seconds before kneeling down to kiss them.

“We have a lot of catching up to do, a lot of memories to make together,” Hagerich said. “I'm so excited to see them. They've been so strong through all of this.”

His daughter had a sign that said, “We love you, Dad,” and his son's sign said, “Welcome home.”

“This is the hardest time of my life,” Hagerich said. “Just being separated from your family as a father, as a breadwinner. And not being that figure in your family's life, it's a very tough pill to swallow. But having these guys here right now, that’s all.”

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Republican Rep. Guy Reschenthaler were also at the airport to greet Hagerich. Fetterman and Reschenthaler were among a group of lawmakers who urged authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands to release Americans detained there.

Hagerich was arrested in February for carrying ammunition in his checked bag. He said he did not realize he had left the shotgun shells in the bag. Hagerich said his eight nights in prison were the darkest days of his life.

Possession of a firearm or ammunition is prohibited in the Turks and Caicos Islands, but previously tourists could often only pay a fine. In February, a court ruling mandated that even tourists leaving the country could face prison time. Hagerich pleaded guilty to possessing 20 shotgun shells.

There is four other Americans who face similar charges in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Three of them remain on the islands and the fourth, charged, has been allowed to return to the United States for medical reasons. Hagerich hopes his case will set a precedent and those other Americans will soon be home.

He added that he believed the right people were in the right place at the right time to help him and his family during this ordeal.