Posted on 12/17/2008 5:53:16 PM PST by tkocur
Garry Latcham thought he was carrying a harmless gift for his North Carolina host when he boarded a plane from his native England in November, planning to spend four days hunting in rural Person County.
Instead, the gifts -- two silencers intended for air guns -- landed Latcham and his traveling companion in jail for nearly a month, after customs agents mistook the men for terrorists. Federal officials now say that the men were vacationers with no criminal plot. But they were still forced to plead guilty to felonies, because they failed to declare the $55 silencers on their customs forms.
The two working-class men, both of whom have young families, ran up thousands of dollars in legal bills and spent 24 days in crowded county jails before being allowed to return home last week.
"We came for a holiday of a lifetime, and we got one," Latcham said this week from his home in England. "I will never come back to the United States, ever."
He gave only a short interview, saying he wanted a contribution to his legal fees before speaking at length.
In a news release last week, U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding said the prosecution of Latcham and his friend, George Hope, "highlights the importance of the Customs Declaration Form individuals must fill out when they enter the United States and of the laws and rules governing travel between countries."
Their lawyer, Doug Kingsbery of Raleigh, said the British men's treatment was unnecessarily harsh. Even the federal judge who heard the case thought the men should be released from jail, and questioned the point of the prosecution...
I’m obviously showing my ignorance, but a silencer for an air gun?
You’d think that they could simply check his religion, and then move on.
I don’t think I would try to hide a silencer when entering another country through customs.
I thought they were big on gun control over there. You’d think they would be very understanding.
http://www.gamousa.com/catalog.aspx?product=234
Its called a dampener, but ‘m sure big gov can call it a “silencer” on an airgun....sigh.
Maybe one of them will run for president.
Yes, fairly cheap modern air rifles can launch a .177 caliber pellet at a muzzle velocity in excess of 1,200 feet per second.
That makes noise.
Gamo markets the "Whisper", which has a built-in suppressor.
I’m no gun expert but that sounds like a full fledged weapon.
The scorn is well deserved. However, at least we yanks can have guns. We also spit at Sharia law.
Good for us. These men were treated shamefully.
In the hands of the right rifleman, yes indeed.
Only at short range.
“highlights the importance of the Customs Declaration Form individuals must fill out when they enter the United States and of the laws and rules governing travel between countries.”
____________________________________________
I declare everything...
The tea...
The Cadbury’s chocolate...
The books and toys...
The stuffed animals...
Only ignorance gone to seed would begin to think part of a weapon could get through customs...
Returning Americans and others are constantly warned...
“if you dont declare it and it is found...you get fine
At the least...”
This is entirely their own fault...
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