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And another reminder to check your bags: Georgia Man leaves two magazines in backpack and now faces 15 years in Jamaican Prison

This topic can be found at:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/320601935/m/7900096125

August 06, 2026, 12:26 PM
HRK
And another reminder to check your bags: Georgia Man leaves two magazines in backpack and now faces 15 years in Jamaican Prison
We've seen this before, and after member dave7378 went through this in Turks and Caicos, gun folks need to stop using bags they go to the range or daily carry for travel, domestic and especially if going overseas.

15 years for a mistake that both he and TSA should have caught...

At worse he'd have missed the flight out of ATL and had jail time and thousands of lawyer fees in Georgia had TSA done their job.

I have a good friend that took his range bag on a last minute business flight, grabbed the backpack, stuffed in some clothes and had a loaded gun in the bottom, TSA caught it, and he went right to jail.... $$$ later it got taken care of as a mistake but it's a good example of what not to do...

Still it's his mistake, how do you miss 60 rounds, it's heavy, but he missed them packing, TSA missed it, and then he missed it again in the hotel unpacking and packing.


https://x.com/bluelivesmtr/status/2085380384393769295


August 06, 2026, 12:47 PM
Hound Dog
Firearms ownership has responsibilities.

Personally, I cannot imagine ever making that kind of mistake. It seems sloppy and grossly irresponsible.

But, who knows what lapses we are all capable of. . .

I NEVER take any range bag anywhere but the range. I don’t want the powder residue setting off alarms.



Fear God and Dread Nought
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
August 06, 2026, 12:51 PM
corsair
quote:
Originally posted by HRK:
We've seen this before, and after member dave7378 went through this in Turks and Caicos, gun folks need to stop using bags they go to the range or daily carry for travel, domestic and especially if going overseas.

Just makes life easier and less hassles.
All the necessary tools and lubricants, a few spare parts, IFAK and other med supplies, sun protection, training aids, ear protection, eye protection, spare batteries, etc...all lives in a specific bag that is used for nothing else but the range.

Early on in my gun owning life, I remember watching this guy show up to his lane and fumble-fuck everything out of his Converse All-Star gym-bag; you know those 70-80's-era small canvas ones for the locker. Zero compartmentalization or organization everything loose and tumbling around...my god this guy was a walking disaster.
August 06, 2026, 01:11 PM
egregore
This is total chicken shit. I don't understand why people go to foreign countries where the people hate you.
August 06, 2026, 01:39 PM
12131
quote:
15 years for a mistake that both he and TSA should have caught...

As much as I don’t care for the TSA, the responsibility is 100% this guy’s. This sounds like “I screwed up, but mommy should have stopped me”. No, you shouldn’t have screwed up in the first place.

ETA: Reading that actual agenda driven Twitter post pisses me off even more. The very first sentence already laid the blame squarely on the TSA, “Georgia father of three faces 15 years in a Jamaican prison after TSA missed the loaded magazines he forgot”. From there, it’s a sob story of a hard working family man who “carefully emptied his backpack before the flight”. Roll Eyes

And then, the last sentence circled back to blaming the TSA again with “This never should have left American soil.” Roll Eyes


Q






August 06, 2026, 02:12 PM
BigSwede
I have shooting bags and travel bags, they don't mix


August 06, 2026, 03:25 PM
SigSentry
Hell of a way to find out where the missing mags went. Do they still ask if you were the last person to pack your bag? She seems nice, I guess.
August 06, 2026, 03:30 PM
Bytes
A good friend that I worked with took his son on a vacation to North Carolina last summer. His son got caught with a Glock 19 in his baggage (a range bag). 3 nights in jail, $6500, and 9 months later he got his side arm back. I agree with everyone here, range bags are not luggage.
August 06, 2026, 03:46 PM
SigSentry
I imagine USCCA et. al. doesn't protect someone from these shenanigans, let alone something international. Negligent discharge sure, but this type of brain fart, you're probably on your own.
August 06, 2026, 05:21 PM
gearhounds
I cannot see using a range bag for travel EVER, just because spent gunpowder residue might be enough to set off a dog or a sniffer if one is present. Even if I did, I would be damn sure to check every single nook and cranny. Twice.




“Remember to get vaccinated or a vaccinated person might get sick from a virus they got vaccinated against because you’re not vaccinated.” - author unknown
August 06, 2026, 05:44 PM
Graniteguy
How much foreign aid does the US send to Jamaica?

Maybe our State Dept can help get him released?
August 06, 2026, 05:51 PM
vthoky
Not to be snooty about it, for I know I’m very well capable of making a big mistake, but…


… I will admit that I have, even recently, bought a new backpack right before a trip, so as to not accidentally pack a bag that might have at some point had a gun inside.

Without pointing blame in any particular direction… I feel rough for the guy and his family, for the situation they’re in.




Politicians seem to have forgotten that they work for us, not the other way around.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
God bless America.
August 06, 2026, 06:11 PM
sigfreund
When an American citizen runs afoul of the law in a foreign country to the point of being incarcerated, it’s usual for someone from the US embassy to get involved: requesting a visit, helping with communications, ensure they’re not being locked in a dungeon, etc. That doesn’t mean they will be able to get someone released or not be subject to whatever the local laws dictate.

And what would we expect? That someone who was careless enough (or self-assured of their special status enough) to bring illegal items such as drugs into the country that they should be exchanged for someone like an illegal arms dealer?

Oh, wait …. Roll Eyes




“ One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. … Against stupidity we are defenseless. … [R]easons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one's prejudgment simply need not be believed … and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside ….”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
August 06, 2026, 06:41 PM
Ronin101
I fell sorry for him.. I hope he is able to be freed. Apparntly 3rd world shitholes have third world prisons

Living ConditionsOvercrowding: Major facilities operate well above capacity, such as Tower Street running at double its intended limit.Antiquated Buildings: Some structures date back centuries and lack modern sanitation, adequate plumbing, or proper ventilation.Basic Shortages: Inmates frequently face shortages of proper bedding, clean water, and sufficient food supplies.Safety and SecurityViolence: Human rights reports and local coverage point to frequent physical altercations, violent clashes among inmates, and occasional tense stand-offs with guards.Limited Movement: Due to security risks and operational strain, inmates often experience long daily lock-in hours with minimal out-of-cell time.Rehabilitation Gaps: While some programs exist, severe overcrowding and underfunding hinder consistent educational or reform efforts.
August 06, 2026, 06:49 PM
jer830
According the article Jamaica found the mags/ammo when he was returning. Yes TSA should have stopped him in Atlanta, but they didn’t. That being said, the responsibility falls on the man. Sometimes folks get too complacent with guns and stuff.

And the article says he’s on bail and back in GA. I’m not an attorney and I’m clueless about stuff like that, but what’s going to make him return to Jamaica for his “day” in court?

And I can’t imagine in a million years why anyone would ever want to visit and spend hard earned dollars in shithole countries like this. It’s not like he was visiting his motherland (dudes white) and don’t they have nice beaches in GA? If not you got the whole east/west coasts and then HI.

Sorry for the rant, but after following the prior related threads here I just wonder. Forgive me if I’m out of line.
August 06, 2026, 07:23 PM
AllenInAR
quote:
Originally posted by gearhounds:
I cannot see using a range bag for travel EVER, just because spent gunpowder residue might be enough to set off a dog or a sniffer if one is present.


About 20 years ago I worked for a company that did surface blasting at coal mines. They sent me to Wyoming for a week to see operations out there. While there I grabbed a piece of this weird red pumice like stuff from the mine. Guess who got pulled out of line at the airport on my flight back to WV?


_______________________________

The artist formerly known as AllenInWV
August 06, 2026, 09:43 PM
Graniteguy
Good to see him back in GA. Zero chance I would return there for a trial/sentencing.
August 07, 2026, 10:49 AM
tatortodd
quote:
Originally posted by Graniteguy:
Good to see him back in GA. Zero chance I would return there for a trial/sentencing.
I was shocked the Jamaican's allowed him to leave on a bond that was only about $3200 USD. I'm guessing they're highly confident in the extradition treaty with the US gov't and that the US citizen wouldn't hang the local Jamaican out to dry who signed the surety bond (i.e. the Jamaican could face financial asset seizure if bond not honored).



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
August 07, 2026, 10:59 AM
TigerDore
In spite of knowing I am on the Sig Forum site and being a gun enthusiast, I have to confess that my first thought on reading the title was "What kinds of publications are controversial enough in Jamaica to get one arrested? Playboy? nah.."

Yes, I am absolutely that dense.


.
August 07, 2026, 11:10 AM
egregore
quote:
Originally posted by Graniteguy:
Good to see him back in GA. Zero chance I would return there for a trial/sentencing.

But he would have the cloud of the possibility of Jamaica applying for, and the US granting, extradition for years, maybe decades afterwards, hanging over his head.

I think I might still take that chance.