Senator from Washington detained in Hong Kong for possessing firearm in an airport

A politician from the United States got arrested in Hong Kong because he brought a gun into the city. CNN saw a document that lists the charges against him. He says it was just a mistake and he didn’t mean to do anything wrong.

Washington state senator Jeff Wilson was taken into custody on Saturday at Hong Kong International Airport. He has been accused of having a firearm without a license, which is against the law. If found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of up to 14 years and have to pay a fine of over $12,000.

Wilson went to court on Monday and was allowed to leave after paying bail, as reported by RTHK.

The Republican state senator, whose whole name is Stephen J. Wilson admitted that he didn’t realize he had put his gun in his bag when he and his wife were going on a five-week vacation to Southeast Asia. This information was shared on his website.

“It was a mistake that was made without any intention to deceive or cause harm. ” Wilson said in the statement that she believes the situation will be fixed soon.

Wilson said he found the weapon while he was flying from San Francisco to Hong Kong.

The person didn’t know that he had a gun in his bag when he went through airport security in Portland. The people checking the bags didn’t see it either.

Wilson said that as soon as the plane arrived in Hong Kong, he went straight to the customs officials and told them about the problem.

A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration said in an email to CNN that they know a passenger carried an empty gun in their bag through security at Portland International Airport.

The person was taken into custody when they arrived in Hong Kong. The TSA is very concerned about this situation and is currently looking into what happened.

It said that if you bring a gun to a TSA checkpoint, you could be fined up to $15,000. Also, you won’t be allowed to use TSA PreCheck for up to five years.

CNN has asked for a response or statement from Portland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.

A spokesperson from the US Consulate General said they know about the reports, but can’t say more because they need to respect people’s privacy.

The Customs and Excise Department of Hong Kong declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings, according to an email sent to CNN.

The news from RTHK says that Wilson will go to court in Hong Kong on October 30 for his next hearing.

In Hong Kong, it is against the law for anyone to have guns or bullets without permission from the police. Only police officers, armed security guard services, and exclusive shooting range club operators are allowed to have licenses.

Problems with guns are not common in Hong Kong, unlike in the United States where guns are a big issue. The leading cause of death for children and teenagers is one dangerous person.

In Washington state, you can carry guns openly without a license. This means you can carry a gun in many public places, but some private property owners can still say no to guns on their property. However, you must have a license to carry hidden guns in this state.

Wilson mentioned that his gun was officially recorded in Washington state and he has a license that allows him to carry it hidden.