HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A retired U.S. Army soldier was arrested and has been in detention in Zimbabwe for a week after trying to board a plane with a loaded and unregistered pistol, state media reported Tuesday.
Ronald Leon Johnson was arrested Feb. 15 as he checked in at Robert Mugabe Airport in the capital, Harare, for a flight to the tourist town of Victoria Falls, The Herald newspaper reported.
Johnson was charged with boarding a plane with a firearm without permission and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, his lawyer, Munyaradzi Bwanya, said.
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The U.S. Embassy in Harare declined to give out any information on Johnson’s rank or period of service in the Army.
Airport security officials found a Glock 9 mm pistol loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition after searching his suitcase, The Herald said.
Johnson faces five years in jail or a fine if convicted under the country’s Firearms Act.
Johnson’s home address is in Woodbridge, Virginia, according to court documents. He is yet to appear at a court for a bail hearing.
He has been in Zimbabwe since Feb. 5 on a month-long holiday visa, according to The Herald.
