Firearm Charges for a U.S Veteran Expunged
The Philadelphia International Airport has strict policies against carrying firearms. So, even if you are carrying a licensed firearm, you have to comply with the regulations of the TSA, ignoring which can lead to unnecessary hassles and missed flights! And these rules apply to any U.S citizen, despite their job profiles or position.
So, when we received a call from a U.S veteran being charged for carrying a firearm at the airport, our expert Pittsburgh criminal lawyers at the Logue Law Group immediately pounced into action.
What happened next? And most importantly, how did we handle the case? Well, follow along the blog to know more!
The Details of the Case
Our client, an ex-Navy official, was supposed to catch a flight home to Florida from Philadelphia International Airport. And he had his personal licensed firearm with him, which he carried 24×7.
However, he surely did commit one mistake. Instead of unloading his gun and sending it with his checked baggage, he chose to carry it in his handbag.
So, the moment he went through the security check-in, the detectors flashed, and the airport security charged him with carrying a firearm at the airport. What’s worse is that, despite telling the airport security about his profession and showing them his license, he was on the verge of facing some severe legal repercussions, including an immediate revocation of his security clearance and a permanent criminal record.
How Did We Tackle the Case?
Upon hearing the details, our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers understood that a guilty plea would only complicate matters. So, we thought of coming up with a better strategy that would save our client and his reputation.
Therefore, we decided to negotiate with the prosecution about altering the charges levied against our client. Thankfully, our client’s position as a high-ranked officer in the U.S Navy gave us enough leverage to convince the prosecution that a criminal conviction would be unjustified. Along with that, the conviction would have also affected his security clearance, which was also not a very proportionate consequence for our client’s unintentional oversight of the TSA regulations.
Added to that, our client had a clean service record, which further helped strengthen the defense strategy of our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers. We argued with the prosecution to arrange for a diversionary program for our client.
After a brief negotiation, the prosecution finally agreed to our terms! We got permission to enroll our client in a diversionary program. Along with that, we also ensured that upon successful completion of the program, our client would be eligible for expungement!
What’s surprising is that our client didn’t expect this much efficiency from our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers! He thought that he had to live with a criminal record for the rest of his life. But the expungement guaranteed to seal his records forever, which meant that his long-standing reputation as a successful career was also saved!
On top of that, the expungement also got our client rid of his security clearance issues. So now, he can freely travel without facing any unnecessary hassle.
The TSA happens to be very stringent when it comes to firearm confiscations at the airport. And the consequences might go awry! So, if you, or a friend of yours, are facing similar charges, don’t hesitate to call us at 412-387-6901 and book a consultation today.