A State Representative found with a loaded, unregistered gun in the Pellston airport apologized Tuesday for the incident.
TSA officers detected the pistol in Representative Lee Chatfield carry on luggage. They say he could face a fine of up to 98 hundred dollars with the agency, in addition to local fines.
In an apologetic Facebook post, Chatfield said it was a quote “inexcusable mistake” that occurred because he was in a rush to back after celebrating his daughter’s birthday.
In the post, Chatfield said the pistol wasn’t registered with the Michigan State Police, although he had believed all of his firearms were.
Chatfield is a strong supporter of gun rights and has introduced legislation to allow pistol owners to be removed from state databases if their guns are purchased in-state.
Chatfield ended by saying he takes responsibility and that quote “no one is above the law.”
The Emmet County Prosecutor did not respond to our request for comment, so it’s not clear what criminal charges, if any, may be filed.