A U.S. state senator was arrested in a Hong Kong airport after bringing a gun with him onto his flight, according to a statement from his office.
Republican Washington state Sen. Jeff Wilson was traveling with his wife from Portland to Southeast Asia for a five-week trip when he discovered a gun in his carry-on luggage, according to a statement from Wilson’s office on Monday.
Wilson said he had taken the gun with him mistakenly and quickly brought it to the attention of airport authorities, who promptly arrested him on Friday.
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“It was an honest mistake, and I expect the situation to be resolved shortly,” Wilson said in the statement. His office noted that the gun had not been detected by airport security in Portland, despite media reports claiming otherwise.
As the gun had only been registered in Washington, Wilson was detained and charged with illegal possession of a firearm; he was released on bail on Sunday and was given a court hearing on Oct. 30, according to the statement.
An unregistered firearm charge in Hong Kong carries a potential $12,800 fine and a 14-year prison sentence if convicted; however, Wilson’s hearing is at the Magistrates’ Court, which generally gives sentences of less than two years for such offenses, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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Wilson was planning to meet with his counterparts in Shanghai during his personal trip, according to the statement. He hopes to resume his itinerary when the case is settled.
A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration said Wilson boarded a flight from Portland and “passed through security and traveled with an unloaded firearm in his carry-on bag.”
The TSA “takes this situation very seriously and is currently investigating the circumstances,” the spokesperson said.
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