Virginia father held in Turks and Caicos for stray ammunition pleads responsible

Norman Ray
Norman Ray

International Courant

A Virginia man has pleaded responsible to 1 rely of possession of ammunition within the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) after airport safety discovered stray bullets in his baggage as he ready to fly dwelling final month.

5 Individuals have been arrested and detained for possession of ammunition on the islands since February beneath a brand new regulation that requires each residents and vacationers to serve a minimal 12-year jail sentence for possession of ammunition. At the least three of these Individuals advised Fox Information Digital they did not understand that they had ammunition of their luggage within the first place.

Tyler Wenrich, a husband and father of a 1-year-old son, was initially arrested April 20 after a marriage celebration at TCI and pleaded responsible in court docket Monday as each prosecutors and his protection crew introduced oral arguments, he advised Fox. Information digital.

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He expects his sentencing listening to to happen subsequent week.

FLORIDA WOMAN BECOMES FIFTH AMERICAN TAKEN INTO TURKISH AND CAICOS FOR CARRYING AMMUNITION

Wenrich flew from Virginia to Florida, the place he boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise for a “marriage ceremony occasion,” all with out the bullets being noticed. (TCI police)

Wenrich flew from Virginia to Florida, the place he boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise for the marriage occasion, all with out the bullets being detected, his father, Michael Wenrich, beforehand advised Fox Information Digital. The cruise docked and the occasion spent a while in Grand Turk earlier than Wenrich was lastly arrested when he was caught returning dwelling with two stray bullets in his bag.

Wenrich’s plea comes a day after a bipartisan congressional delegation visited TCI to ask authorities leaders to launch Individuals detained for having stray ammunition of their luggage.

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3 US GOVERNORS ASK TURKISH AND CAICOS TO RELEASE AMERICANS HELD OVER AMMO

Tyler Wenrich faces a minimal of 12 years in jail after two stray bullets had been present in his bag at a Turks and Caicos airport. (Michael Wenrich)

The most recent arrest occurred on Might 15 when authorities took Sharitta Grier, a Florida mom, into custody. The others are Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania and Michael Lee Evans of Texas.

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HEARING IN TURKS AND CAICOS FOR AMERICAN ARRESTED WITH AMMUNITION IN BAG COULD CREATE A NEW PRECEDENT

5 Individuals have been arrested in Turks and Caicos since February for transporting ammunition by means of airports on the island. From left: Michael Lee Evans (no photograph), Bryan Hagerich, Tyler Wenrich, Ryan Watson and Sharitta Grier (Turks and Caicos Police/Dimitrios Kambouris)

“The U.S. delegation raised 5 circumstances of U.S. nationals at present pending in court docket, considerations for his or her well-being and clarification on the authorized course of,” the TCI Governor’s Workplace mentioned in a press release Monday. “To protect the integrity of the authorized course of, the Governor confirmed that it might not be applicable to facilitate the delegation’s request to fulfill with the Chief Justice.”

The governor and premier additionally mentioned that “they can not intervene or touch upon pending litigation earlier than the courts,” the assertion continued. “They defined that the Turks and Caicos Islands have clear legal guidelines prohibiting the possession of firearms and/or ammunition and strict penalties are in place to serve and shield all who reside and go to the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

AMERICANS ARRESTED IN TURKS AND CAICOS RECEIVE Twelve years in jail for ‘harmless mistake’: ‘we by no means seen’

A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation visited TCI officers on Monday to debate the arrests of 5 Individuals over an ammunition possession legislation. (Workplace of the TCI Governor)

Final week, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin despatched a letter to Turks and Caicos Islands Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam urging Watson’s launch, Hagerich and Wenrich.

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“Like hundreds of Individuals yearly, these people not too long ago traveled to your lovely territory for leisure,” the governors wrote in a joint letter shared with Fox Information Digital. “They’ve all maintained that that they had no intention of bringing ammunition into Turks and Caicos, and that any ammunition unknowingly left of their baggage was the results of lawful conduct in america. We perceive that none of them had firearms had with him.”

The State Division not too long ago issued a PSA about The division urged vacationers to examine their pockets and “each nook and cranny” of suitcases “earlier than touring to keep away from moving into hassle overseas.”

Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox Information Digital and FOX Enterprise. E mail tricks to [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants.

Virginia father held in Turks and Caicos for stray ammunition pleads responsible

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