Liliana Goodson learns her fate after trying to smuggling 24-carat golden pistol into Australia

An American woman who flew to Australia with a gold-plated pistol in her luggage has been sentenced to a year in jail, despite claiming she took it with her for protection.

Liliana Goodson pleaded guilty to charges of illegally importing an unauthorized firearm and illegally importing ammunition.

The 30-year-old was sentenced at Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Monday to 12 months’ imprisonment, including four months in full custody.

Goodson was taken into custody immediately after the hearing and forced to remove her extensive jewelry before being handcuffed and led from the court.

She was initially arrested at Sydney Airport in April 2023, after customs officers discovered the 24-carat gold-plated pistol, worth about $3,000, in her luggage.

The court was previously told she came to Australia to attend clown school and claimed she took the gun with her for protection.

Goodson had searched online to see if she could take the gun to Australia, despite telling officers at the time that she forgot she had it.

When Goodson was asked at the airport if she was carrying prohibited items, she claimed she was not, the court was told.

Liliana Goodson (pictured) traveled from Florida to clown school in Sydney, but is now spending time behind bars

“What about the gun in your bag?” she was asked by a customs officer.

Goodson replied, “Oh yeah, I forgot.”

A review of Goodson’s phone revealed that she had searched online for “can I have a gun in my suitcase?” and set a calendar item with a note reminding her to “put a gun in the trunk.”

Magistrate Susan Horan said there was a strong need to deter others from committing similar crimes in the future, which could only be achieved through a period of incarceration.

“Australia has a strong stance against firearms,” she said.

Prosecutors previously argued that the weapon looks particularly confrontational and would “scare community members,” to which Horan agreed.

The court heard that American had searched online to see if she could have a gun in her suitcase (pictured the gold gun, worth about $3,000) during her trip to Australia.

When a customs officer asked about the gun, Goodson replied that she had forgotten it (photo an x-ray of her luggage with the gun)

Goodson told police she was actually “afraid” to shoot the gun and hoped that simply producing it would be enough to deter potential threats.

“If that didn’t work, I’d probably just hit him with a gun,” Goodson said.

When asked where she planned to store the gun while in Australia, she indicated she was under the passenger seat of a vehicle, the court was told.

The court was told in recent years that Goodson used psychedelic drugs, synthetic cannabis and crystal meth amphetamines.