Ex-US Army Lt. Col. fined $22k for loaded magazine
(CNS): A retired senior officer in the United States Army was fined $22,000 for entering the Cayman Islands with a loaded magazine in his backpack. When Terry Torraca, from Franklin, Tennessee, was stopped by security staff at Owen Roberts International Airport in early March, he apologised and told the authorities he had forgotten to check inside the pocket of the carry-on bag where the ammunition was found before travelling here.
When he appeared in summary court last month, he pleaded guilty to possession of unlicensed ammunition. Chief Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez also ordered Torraca to pay $500 in costs in addition to the fine.
Travellers from the US, where the approach to guns is very different from the Cayman Islands, often face fines in the region of $1,000 to $3,000 when they arrive here with stray bullets, casings and rounds of ammunition because they have forgotten or not bothered to double-check their bags. Despite the draconian punishment for being found with ammunition, such travellers generally do not serve any jail time and are usually discharged by the court with no criminal conviction recorded.
This is believed to be one of the largest fines handed down in the lower court to a traveller who has brought in ammunition either through ignorance or indifference towards Cayman’s laws.
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I’m all for sentences like this. Putting them in prison is a waste of resources. Fine them & ban them!
How did the gun get through U.S side TSA inspection ?
There wasn’t one
IT WAS NOT A GUN, IT WAS A LOADED MAGAZINE. THE GUN WAS NEVER BROUGHT WITH HIM.
03 @ 7.31am – Great question! US security checks are worthless. An FOI to CIAA would reveal the vast number of weapons seizures on the way out of Cayman, which bypassed US security on the original way out of the US to Cayman.!
why wasn’t it picked up in the US scanners when he left the US to come here?
The ammo was in his carry on luggage… the US authorities didn’t spot it when going through security????
Anyone else wonder how bad America airport security must be to constantly let these people through?
JESUS PEOPLE! IT WAS AMMUNITION NOT A FIREARM. TSA\tsa LOOK FOR FIREARMS NOT AMMUNICTIOON.
clown
Sure punish a retired US veteran and let a young Russian walk free.
The person walking free did not commit a crime under Cayman law.
I’m sure that because he is a US veteran, he’s a saint. They all are.
The young Russian declared the weapons and complied with the law. The retired U vet didn’t declare the ammo and did walk the law. And he did walk free – paid a fine but didn’t get imprisoned despite the fact that the law provides for a minimum sentence for possession.
Either case, let that be a young caymanian man……one way ticket to HMP!!! Funny how the law is structured to screw the less fortunate ones???
What happened to the guy with multiple firearms in his bag? Didn’t he get off with nothing? Yet, this guy only has a magazine with no firearm and they throw the book at him? Sounds completely antiamerican to me.
Should of just left island and not come back for the court date. Whats RCIPS going to do extradite? Ha
good
Is there any lingering question about a 2 tiered justice system?
Juxtaposing the Anton Parygin case with this one has convinced me
beyond any reasonable doubt.
Clearly you utterly misunderstood the case against Anton.
You are comparing apples to oranges. One declared the weapons asap on arrival and one did not.
Bigger question is why were these not found by TSA when screened pre-departure? Makes one wonder about the security of US departing flights.
Between this and the cocaine on the wedding guest in the other article. It seems like the TSA isn’t actually doing much on their end.
It’s almost like the entire thing is a welfare system for the lower classes.
Nah that Russian guy shouldn’t have gotten off considering the RCIPS told him no and the correct procedures of importing the firearms. Ignorance to the law is not reason to get off.
CNS: He didn’t get off because of any ignorance of the law. He got off because his lawyer successfully argued that he had not broken the law.
Anton Parygin declared the weapons and it was clear he was attempting to comply with the law (and arguably did). This guy was careless. It’s not the same at all.
Not should how security found a loaded magazine in a backpack…telepathy? Cayman should have passenger release exit X-ray machine for all baggage, like in Panama. Then you know for sure, and nothing gets through.
fines will only increase as our leaders struggle to keep up with runaway spending.
This fine seems excessive and over the top for what appears to be a genuine mistake by a US visitor and veteran. The fine may do more to damage our reputation with US tourists and US officials than deter anyone with criminal intent.
It was. But that is not an accident. Hot off the heels of the WB Stadium shooting, justice must not only be done but seen to be done.
An example needed to be made.
Of course punishing this man, in this manner, was bone headed, but that’s nothing new here either.
“Draconian”? 🙄 If anything our penalties for those who disregard our laws are far too lax, especially when it comes to guns.
Well stated @Anonymous 12:03 p.m.
This is a bit harsh due to the man admitting his mistake, he was not a smuggler, rather he is a retired veteran. Age, good will, respectable history, should all have been taken into consideration. His $2,000 holiday just became a 25,000 trip?? Doesn’t sound like Cayman Kind.
CBC is sending a message. We want safety in our islands, we should not differentiate especially when there is someone of such status. Imagine the outcry of the results were different, or regrettably he may have been of a different ethnic background. The court had the power to impose such penalties and used that discretion. Aside of the guilty plea at first instance and offered apology he was lucky not to gain a conviction recorded and even a suspended sentence. Send the message. We have had very unnerving and disturbing gun crime increases and residents want authorities to find solutions. This is a primary start to solutions. Send a message and the message is pertaining to anything firearms and ammunition. If you import or possess, that is all we are targeting. First time offence or forgetfulness is secondary. They are doing what they committed to Caymanians and residents to keep Cayman safe.
Please now update the Firearms Act and Regulations.
Not sure we’re any safer for having disproportionately fined an honest mistake by a US army veteran who wasn’t a threat to anyone.
So why wasn’t the White Russian guy locked up??
But if you are driving a car with an actual loaded gun under your seat you get nothing…