A Pennsylvania man detained in Turks and Caicos for carrying ammunition in his luggage was finally released and reunited with his family.
Video captured the touching moment Bryan Hagerich, 39, arrived at the Pittsburgh airport Friday night and hugged his crying children and wife after seeing them for the first time since his arrest in February.
Upon arrival, Hagerich told reporters that he was “absolutely elated” to be home, CNN reported.
“We have a lot of catching up to do,” he added. ‘There are many memories to create together. I’m so elated to see them. They have been very strong through all of this.
Hagerich, who received a 52-week suspended sentence and a $6,700 fine after pleading guilty, is the first of four other Americans detained in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Video captured the touching moment Bryan Hagerich, 39, arrived at the Pittsburgh airport Friday night and hugged his crying children and wife after seeing them for the first time since his arrest in February.
Hagerich, who received a 52-week suspended sentence and a $6,700 fine after pleading guilty, is the first of four other Americans detained in the Turks and Caicos Islands (Bryan, second from right, with his children Caroline, 6 years, and Palmer, 4, his wife, Ashley, Gisele Fetterman, her husband, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa.)
Possession of firearms or ammunition carries a minimum sentence of 12 years on the island.
On Friday, a judge gave him a 52-month suspended sentence and ordered him to pay a $6,500 fine after he pleaded guilty in exchange for his release.
Hagerich is seen hugging his children, Palmer, 4, and Caroline, 6, who hold welcome home signs alongside his smiling wife, Ashley, after arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday.
“It’s just amazing how, in just 12 hours, considering 12 years so far,” he told reporters Friday. “My biggest concern is coaching my kids in their baseball games tomorrow, and that’s a big relief.”
Ryan Watson, 40, Tyler Scott Wenrich, 31, and Sharitta Shinse Grier, 45, remain stuck on the island, while Michael Lee Evans, 72, was released on bail and allowed to fly away. He returned to the United States because he suffers from a serious medical condition.
They claim they didn’t know there were bullets in their bags, saying they could have been left there after hunting trips or by mistake, and asked for mercy.
Upon arrival, Hagerich told reporters he was “absolutely elated” to be home.
On Friday, a judge gave him a 52-month suspended sentence and ordered him to pay a $6,500 fine after pleading guilty in exchange for his release.
Palmer Hagerich, 4, waits for his father, Bryan, to arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday, May 24, 2024.
But a delegation of two U.S. senators, three members of the House of Representatives, and embassy and State Department representatives “could not find a path forward” to secure their release, meaning they still face 12 years of imprisonment. prison.
Wenrich pleaded guilty Tuesday and will be sentenced May 28. Watson and Grier have not yet entered guilty pleas.
Hagerich, Watson and Grier have been sharing an apartment under house arrest on the Caribbean island while awaiting their fate.
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey welcomed the news that Hagerich would soon be released and return home to his family.
“I am grateful that the Turks and Caicos authorities have been lenient and that Bryan Hagerich will soon return home to his family in Somerset,” he said.
Bryan Hagerich (pictured) talks to reporters at the airport. Ryan Watson, 40, Tyler Scott Wenrich, 31, and Sharitta Shinse Grier, 45, remain stuck on the island, while Michael Lee Evans, 72, was released on bail and allowed to fly away. He returned to the United States because he suffers from a serious medical condition.
Tyler Wenrich, 31, pictured with his wife Jeriann, also faces 12 years in prison after two 9mm bullets were found in his luggage on April 20 as he left a bachelor party cruise.
Ryan Watson, 40, an avid hunter, said loose hunting bullets were found in his luggage when he and his wife Valerie went on vacation. He still remains on the island.
Sharitta Grier, center, now lives in a rental home on the island with Ryan Watson, left, and Bryan Hagerich, right, who were caught with ammunition in their bags.
Before his sentencing, Hagerich said he was hopeful he would be able to leave the island rather than be imprisoned.
“I never in a million years thought I would be in Turks and Caicos for more than 100 days because of a simple mistake,” he told Fox News.
‘There’s obviously a lot of anxiety. There’s a lot of prayers… from families, friends, people we don’t even know around the world right now, that hopefully that outcome will be achieved.’
Hagerich He insisted that he had no intention of bringing ammunition to the islands.
He expressed the difficulty of being separated from his family.
‘As a father, it is my responsibility to provide for my family, protect them and support them in every way imaginable. And for me it’s been just catastrophic,” he said in a previous interview.
