A Hong Kong court dismissed a gun charge Monday against a Washington state senator who had been arrested after he carried a gun into the Chinese territory in what he called an “honest mistake.”

Republican Jeff Wilson self-declared that he was carrying the gun at the airport Oct. 21, has a clear criminal record in Hong Kong and made his admission in an open manner, the prosecution said at the court hearing.

Principal Magistrate Don So approved the arrangement for a bind-over order rather than a plea to possessing an unlicensed firearm, saying he was inclined to believe Wilson was innocent.

The bind-over order requires Wilson to keep the peace and avoid committing further firearms offenses for two years. The magistrate said Wilson would be fined 2,000 Hong Kong dollars ($255) for breaching the order if he doesn’t comply.

  • VegaLyrae
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    3011 months ago

    He discovered the weapon during the flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong, it said.

    So he made it passed TSA with an entire firearm.

    Not just that, but he doesn’t keep track of where his firearms are.

    For an honest mistake, so much had to go wrong.