(Rightallegiance.com) – A judge in Turks and Caicos has sentenced Tyler Wenrich, a Virginia resident and father of a 1-year-old, to time served and a $9,000 fine for unknowingly having ammunition in his luggage. Wenrich, who had been arrested in April, faced a potential 12-year prison sentence after two stray bullets were found in his backpack on a cruise ship.
Wenrich explained that the backpack had previously been used for carrying supplies to a shooting range and had not been checked thoroughly before his trip. Despite passing through TSA and port security in Miami, the bullets were discovered when reboarding the Royal Caribbean cruise ship in Grand Turk.
“I pulled it out for this trip, checked it, went through TSA security, went through port security in Miami. It was about a day and a half sail to Grand Turk, and then we spent a day here,” Wenrich shared. “When I was boarding the ship, they scanned the bag, found one bullet, scanned the bag again, found the second bullet.”
Republican Virginia Rep. Bob Good expressed relief over Wenrich’s sentence, saying, “I am pleased that Wenrich has received a sentence of a fine and time served and that he will be returning home this week to be reunited with his family.”
This resolution followed a visit by congressional colleagues to Turks and Caicos, where they advocated for the release of American detainees facing severe penalties for similar offenses. Good emphasized the non-threatening nature of the infractions, noting that in Wenrich’s case, the bullets had fallen into his backpack’s liner.
Since February, five Americans have been arrested under a new ordinance in Turks and Caicos, which imposes a minimum 12-year sentence for possessing ammunition. Bryan Hagerich, another American, received a 52-week suspended sentence and a $6,700 fine and returned home to Pennsylvania shortly afterward.
Wenrich was arrested on April 20 after a wedding trip. He pled guilty, and both prosecution and defense presented their cases. The bullets were discovered as he prepared to leave the islands. Following his arrest, Wenrich was handed over to local police, a moment he described as when he “knew things were going sideways.”
Others arrested include Sharitta Grier of Florida, Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, and Michael Lee Evans of Texas, who were detained at the islands’ airports. Wenrich noted that although his case differed in location, the charges were similar.
Support for Wenrich has come from friends, family, and other Americans arrested in Turks and Caicos. The governors of Virginia, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania have also advocated for the detainees’ release, emphasizing their lack of intent to bring ammunition into the territory and noting that the incidents resulted from lawful conduct in the United States.
Congressional efforts to address the detentions have included meetings with TCI government officials. However, TCI authorities maintained that they could not intervene in ongoing legal cases, emphasizing the strict local laws against possessing firearms or ammunition.
“The U.S. delegation raised five cases of US nationals currently before the courts, concern for their well-being and clarification on the legal process,” the TCI Governor’s Office stated. Despite this, officials affirmed the necessity of maintaining legal integrity and the inability to facilitate the delegation’s request to meet with the Chief Justice.