Washington state senator Jeff Wilson received good news as a Hong Kong court dismissed a gun charge against him on Monday. Wilson had been arrested after he mistakenly brought a gun into the Chinese territory, but the court ruled in his favor. The court approved a bind-over order for Wilson, requiring him to keep the peace and avoid committing further firearms offenses for two years. He will be fined 2,000 Hong Kong dollars if he fails to comply with the order.
Wilson, who was traveling with his wife for a vacation in Southeast Asia, discovered the weapon during a flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong. He claimed it was an honest mistake and said he regretted the oversight. The gun was not registered in Hong Kong, but it is registered in Washington. With the case resolved without a conviction, Wilson is now free to leave the territory.
Hong Kong has stricter gun laws than the United States, and those convicted of carrying a firearm without a license can face hefty fines and lengthy prison sentences. However, Wilson’s honesty and lack of prior criminal record in Hong Kong contributed to the court’s ruling in his favor.
In a statement on his website, Wilson expressed relief that the matter had been resolved efficiently and apologized for any concern he had caused. He attributed the mistake to a rushed packing process and vowed to be more thorough in the future. The court’s decision means that Wilson can now return home to Washington state without facing further legal consequences.
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