RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Igor Andrusceak, a Georgia father who says he accidentally traveled to Jamaica with 30 rounds of ammunition in his carry-on backpack, is facing a potential prison sentence of at least 15 years. The State Department told Newsweek that embassy staff have provided "all appropriate consular assistance" to him.
Andrusceak, a small-business owner from Athens, Georgia, said he forgot that two loaded ammunition magazines were inside a backpack he regularly used as part of his everyday carry setup. He said there was no firearm in the bag and that Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ) screeners at Atlanta 's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also failed to detect the magazines before his family vacation.
Jamaica's firearms law carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for unauthorized possession of ammunition, including a single cartridge.
"The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," a State Department spokesperson told Newsweek on Saturday.
Newsweek reached out to the NRA for comment, as well as Georgia U.S. Representatives Mike Collins and Andrew Clyde.
Andrusceak told Atlanta station 11Alive that he carefully emptied the backpack before leaving for Jamaica, removing items including a handgun, pocketknife and nail clippers, and putting them into a safe.
But he said two loaded magazines containing a total of 30 rounds remained hidden inside a mesh compartment.
“There’s like a side pocket on the inside,” he told the station. “It’s not a zipper pocket or anything. It’s like a mesh pocket. When you put your laptop and iPad in there, you stuff things in there, it makes these come out. So, this one was just hidden, so I missed it. I guess they missed it. I don’t know how the X-ray machine missed it, but they did.”
The family traveled to Jamaica without incident and enjoyed their vacation. The trouble began July 28 as they prepared to return home from Montego Bay.
According to Andrusceak, airport security officers pulled him aside after screening his backpack and discovered the magazines. He said authorities initially appeared ready to let him proceed before later detaining him and taking him into custody.
"I feel foolish," Andrusceak told the station. "Like, you understand how bad I felt for making that mistake."
After being detained, he said he was arrested and taken to jail where he spent less than 24 hours before an attorney secured an earlier court appearance.
Andrusceak said prosecutors transferred the matter to Jamaica's Gun Court because the loaded magazines fall under the country's firearms laws.
The father of three maintains that he never intended to bring ammunition into Jamaica and hopes surveillance footage and TSA screening records will help support his account.
The State Department confirmed that an American citizen had been arrested in Jamaica and said U.S. Embassy staff have been assisting him.
The department also underscored that Americans remain subject to local laws when traveling overseas.
"Americans are subject to the laws of the foreign countries they visit or reside in, even when those laws differ from U.S. law," the spokesperson said.
U.S. officials routinely warn travelers that foreign countries may impose penalties that are far stricter than those in the United States for firearms, ammunition, drugs and other prohibited items.
The spokesperson added that the department encourages Americans to research foreign laws before international travel and declined further comment because of "privacy and other considerations."
Andrusceak alleges the magazines passed through TSA screening at Atlanta's airport despite containing 15 rounds each.
"No issues whatsoever," he recalled. "Got on a plane, had a decent flight considering we were taking a 1-year-old with us."
TSA is reviewing how the magazines may have cleared security screening, 11Alive reported. The agency has not publicly confirmed Andrusceak's account.
Jamaica prohibits importing or possessing firearms or ammunition without prior authorization. According to guidance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the country's firearms law carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for possessing even a single unauthorized cartridge.
"The judge tearfully was like, 'It's a foolish law, but I can't. I have to abide by our law, and I can only do 15 years minimum,'" Andrusceak said.
His attorney secured a bond of 500,000 Jamaican dollars, equivalent to roughly $3,200, allowing him to return to Georgia while the case proceeds. His sentencing is in October, according to 11Alive.
The legal fight has created another crisis for his family. Andrusceak said he has borrowed money and begun selling possessions, including a motorcycle, to cover legal expenses. He expects he will have to return to Jamaica to face the charge.
At one point, he recalled thinking about what a lengthy sentence could mean for his youngest child.
"My 1-year-old, imagine her being 16 when I see her again," he said. "That was a very sobering moment."
"I'm fearful of going back," Andrusceak added.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Jason Lemon and Anthony Murray .
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