A Friday hearing for an American detained in Turks and Caicos after airport security found ammunition in his suitcase while he was heading home from a family vacation may set a precedent for three other Americans who are currently detained there.
Security 'tore' through his suitcase and found some stray hunting ammunition in a pocket inside Hagerich's luggage that he said he had completely forgotten about. 'As time continued to pass, it was pretty apparent that I wouldn’t be boarding the flight,' the former baseball pro said. Now, Hagerich must argue that he was arrested under 'exceptional circumstances,' which includes proving that he has no prior criminal record, he did not intend to bring ammunition into the airport and why a 12-year sentence would be overly excessive in his case. He is slated to appear for his sentencing on May 29. 'We’ve hoped and prayed. We’ve presented a very strong case, but there are no guarantees,' Hagerich said.