Another US Citizen Avoids Prison Time on Weapons Charge in Turks and Caicos

View of Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa on Sept. 25, 2016 in Providenciales, Turks And Caicos Islands. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Beaches Turks & Caicos

A second American has avoided further prison time on an ammunition charge in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Tyler Wenrich, 31, was sentenced to time served and a $9,000 fine on Tuesday.

The Virginia resident was arrested in April after two 9mm rounds of ammunition were found in his backpack as he tried to board a cruise ship. He pleaded guilty in the case.

The U.S. citizen received a three-week prison sentence but that was covered through time already served before he was released on bail. He faced a possible mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in prison.

Mr. Wenrich was one of five Americans recently detained on a weapons charge in the British territory. He was on a trip for a bachelor’s party when the ammunition was discovered at a security checkpoint. He claimed that the ammunition was still in his bag from a visit to the gun range with friends.

“I am pleased that Tyler Wenrich has received a sentence of a fine and time served for the charges against him, and that he will be returning home this week to be reunited with his family, friends, and the community he serves,” Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) said in a social media post.

“This is the result we were seeking on my trip with congressional colleagues last week to Turks and Caicos. We met with government officials to advocate for the release of all American detainees who were facing 12-year prison sentences for accidental and non-life threatening offenses. In Tyler’s case, it was two stray rounds of ammunition that had fallen into the liner of his backpack,” the congressman wrote in his statement.

Bryan Hagerich, 39, was arrested on similar charges back in February when authorities found 20 rifle rounds found in his checked bag. The Pennsylvania father and former professional baseball player eventually returned to the U.S. after he received a yearlong suspended sentence and $6,700 fine. He also pleaded guilty.

“They recognized that Bryan and the other detained Americans are not gunrunners — they are just people who made a mistake,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) wrote in a previous statement.

The sentences of Mr. Hagerich and Mr. Wenrich give hope for three other U.S. citizens whose cases remain ongoing.

Michael Lee Evans, 72, was attempting to leave the island country when four bullets were discovered in his luggage in December 2023. The Texas resident and retired teacher was released on bail and allowed to travel back to the U.S. due to his health. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

Sharitta Grier, 45, is scheduled to appear in court in July. The Florida resident was on her way to the islands with her daughters for a Mother’s Day trip when she was flagged by authorities at Providenciales International Airport. Two rounds of ammunition were “unknowingly nestled” in her luggage, according to a family statement.

Ryan Watson, 40, was arrested in April as he was trying to leave the islands. The Oklahoma resident and avid hunter was flagged by authorities when four rounds of hunting ammunition were found in his carry-on bag. He is expected to plead guilty this week.

The five cases of Americans detained in the island country have ignited nationwide concerns and prompted lawmakers across the country to take action.

“As the Turks and Caicos government works to handle future cases, the British territory must ensure the safety and wellbeing of U.S. tourists,” Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Penn.) said in a statement. “I won’t rest until Americans can once again set foot on their islands without putting their livelihoods at risk,” the congressman said.

“I still encourage Turks and Caicos to take a hard look at their law and its unintended consequences,”  Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) wrote in a post on social media platform X. “The law was reasonably aimed at addressing an increase in gang violence, but the law’s unintended consequences have wrongly equated friendly American tourists traveling to the islands without a weapon to criminal gang activity,” he added.

The island implemented harsher gun laws in 2022 as part of its major crackdown on firearms and weapons. The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for Turks and Caicos last July that warned Americans to “carefully check their luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons” before leaving the U.S.

From NTD News