American released from Turks and Caicos after unintentionally bringing ammunition

An American that was detained in Turks and Caicos for accidentally bringing ammunition into the country was released Friday, without having to serve any time in prison, after a judge overseeing the case found "exceptional circumstances."

Bryan Hagerich was one of five Americans detained in the British Island territory recently for accidentally packing ammo in their luggage. All five claimed they did not know they had brought the bullets with them, and could face up to 12 years in prison for the mistakes.

Hagerich, who was arrested in February while on vacation with his wife and two children, pleaded guilty to the charge, but asked to be released because had already been detained for 101 days. 

Turks and Caicos Supreme Court Justice Tanya Lobban Jackson said she found "exceptional circumstances" in Hagerich's case, and sentenced him to "52 weeks but 12 months suspended," which meant he did not have to serve any time in prison, according to NBC News. He was however, ordered to pay a $6,700 fine.

The exceptional circumstances Jackson said were the impact that the arrest had on Hagerich's daughter, his lack of a criminal background, and the fact that he had unintentionally brought the ammunition with him.

"Can't wait to get home — I have two kids that just can't wait to jump into our arms," Hagerich told reporters after the sentence. "This is what we've been waiting for for the last 101 days and to experience this here — in eight short hours to be home and hug my kids — it's the best day."

Another one of the Americans has also been released without jail time because he had terminal cancer.

United States lawmakers and governors have lobbied for the release of the other Americans that are still detained, who have been identified as Ryan Watson, Sharitta Shinise Grier, and Tyler Wenrich. But the territory's government said they cannot intervene with the nation's judicial branch.

Sen. John Fetterman, who is from Pennsylvania like Hagerich, celebrated Hagerich's release, stating that the judge's decision was "great news." Fetterman was among a handful of lawmakers who visited the island territories earlier this week to lobby for the releases of Americans.

"When we met with TCI officials a few days ago, they made clear that they wanted this situation resolved," Fetterman told NBC News. "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."

The islands are considered a vacation hotspot for tourists worldwide, and are located southeast of the Bahamas. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.