A Pennsylvania man, Bryan Hagerich, returned to Pittsburgh airport on Friday night after being released from custody in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), where he had been detained for having ammunition in his luggage.
Bryan Hagerich, a 39-year-old husband, father of two, and former professional baseball player, was one of five Americans detained on the islands since February for possessing stray ammunition, a crime that can result in up to 12 years in prison on the islands.
The other detained Americans are Ryan Watson, 40, of Oklahoma; Sharitta Grier, 45, of Florida; Tyler Wenrich, 31, of Virginia; and Michael Lee Evans, 72, of Texas.
“Its just amazing how, just in the matter of 12 hours, looking at 12 years to now,” Hagerich told reporters Friday night after he landed in Pittsburgh. “My biggest concern is coaching my kids’ baseball games tomorrow, and that is such a relief.”
Hagerich described his detention as the “hardest time of my life” due to the separation from his family.
“As a father, as a provider, and to not be that figure in my family’s life, it’s a very tough pill to swallow,” he said. He described the conditions of his detention as “tough” and the “darkest days” of his life.
While grateful to be home, he emphasized that other Americans are still detained on the islands, saying they “will be home soon.”
On Friday morning, a Turks and Caicos judge issued Hagerich a suspended 52-month sentence after he pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition. He was also fined $6,500.
Hagerich told Fox News Digital on Thursday that he and his attorneys “made a very, very strong case” in his defense after he pleaded guilty.
Several lawmakers commended the decision to release Hagerich from custody, allowing him to reunite with his family in Pennsylvania.
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