(TheRedWire.com) – Republican Sen. Jeff Wilson from Washington State was arrested by Chinese authorities on Friday night after he arrived at Hong Kong International Airport with a gun in his luggage.
A statement on the Senator’s website notes that Wilson was unaware that the pistol was in his carry-on bag. The bag had been passed through the Portland International Airport security checkpoint and then was transported to San Francisco before eventually reaching Hong Kong. The Senator claimed that it was “an honest mistake” and that he believed a resolution to this case would be found quickly.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has also investigated what occurred in Portland while Wilson faces charges in China.
Wilson stated that he had been midway through the flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong when he reached for a piece of gum in his carry-on bag. That was when he felt that the gun was inside the bag. As soon as the plane landed, the Senator went to customs officials to inform them about what had occurred.
Authorities proceeded to arrest him for possession of an unregistered firearm. The Senator has claimed that the reports that the gun had been found during a bag check in Hong Kong had been inaccurate.
Wilson was released on bail, but if convicted, he could spend 14 years in prison and pay a $12,800 fine. Judges do not usually give more than two years in prison for this charge. Wilson has had to surrender his passport as a result of his arrest.
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