HONG KONG (NEWSnet/AP) — A Hong Kong court dismissed a gun charge Monday against Washington state senator Jeff Wilson.

He had been arrested after he carried a gun into the Chinese territory in what he called an “honest mistake.”

Wilson said he was carrying the gun at the airport Oct. 21, has a clear criminal record in Hong Kong and made his admission in an open manner, the prosecution said at the court hearing.

Principal Magistrate Don So approved the arrangement for a bind-over order, instead of a plea to possessing an unlicensed firearm, saying he is inclined to believe Wilson is innocent.

The bind-over order requires Wilson to keep the peace and avoid committing firearms offenses for two years. The magistrate said Wilson would be fined 2,000 Hong Kong dollars ($255) for breaching the order if he does not comply.

With the case dispensed without a conviction, Wilson is free to leave the territory.

Hong Kong has stricter gun laws than the United States. Those convicted of carrying a firearm without a license can be fined up to $12,800 and sentenced to as many as 14 years in prison.

According to his website, Wilson was traveling with his wife for a five-week vacation in Southeast Asia. He discovered the weapon during the flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong, it said.

The court heard that Wilson had told a customs inspector it was “a horrible accident” after his arrest. His luggage had passed through security in Portland before he transited in San Francisco, he said during an earlier interview with the inspector.

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