A Hong Kong court has dismissed a gun charge against Washington state senator, Republican Jeff Wilson, who mistakenly carried a gun into the Chinese territory. The court hearing revealed that Wilson voluntarily declared the gun at the airport on October 21st and has a clean criminal record in Hong Kong. The prosecution stated that Wilson’s admission was made openly and in an honest manner.
Principal Magistrate Don So approved a bind-over order instead of a plea, indicating his belief in Wilson’s innocence. Under this order, Wilson must maintain the peace and avoid any further firearms offenses for two years. Failure to comply will result in a fine of 2,000 Hong Kong dollars ($255).
Since the case concluded without a conviction, Wilson is free to leave Hong Kong. A statement previously posted on his website clarified that while the gun was not registered in Hong Kong, it is legally registered in Washington.
Hong Kong has stricter gun laws compared to the United States, with potential fines of up to 100,000 Hong Kong dollars ($12,800) and sentences of up to 14 years in prison for carrying an unlicensed firearm.
According to Wilson’s website, he and his wife were on a five-week vacation in Southeast Asia. He discovered the weapon during the flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong.
Customs officials learned that Wilson referred to the incident as a “horrible accident” when questioned after his arrest. He explained that his luggage had been cleared by security in Portland, and the gun was only discovered during his layover in San Francisco.
