Tyler Wenrich, the Virginia father who was arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for having a stray bullet in his travel bag, faces a sentencing hearing in about a week, and he is worried he could be sentenced to 12 years in prison. “I’m scared and faint,” he said.
Five Americans have been arrested and detained since February. Because he has ammunition Americans are prohibited from owning firearms on the island under a new ordinance that imposes a minimum 12-year prison term for possession of ammunition for both islanders and visitors. At least three Americans told Fox News Digital that they had no idea there was ammunition in the bags in the first place.
“It’s scary and I’m anxious, and there’s a bit of a lull right now. [sentencing] “I don’t have a sentencing date yet. It’s been a rollercoaster ride,” Wenrich, who has a wife and 1-year-old son, told Fox News Digital. “Once I have a sentencing date, it will be another round of similar days and I’ll go to court and find out what my fate is.”
Wenrich, 31, and other Americans arrested for possession of ammunition on the island will have to prove they were arrested under unusual circumstances to receive lesser penalties.
Florida woman becomes fifth American detained in Turks and Caicos Islands for ammunition possession
Wenrich flew from Virginia to Florida, where he boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise for a “wedding party,” but no bullets were found on the ship. (TCI Police)
He was originally arrested after a wedding reception at TCI on April 20 and pleaded guilty when prosecutors and defense lawyers held oral arguments on Monday, he told Fox News Digital. Wenrich traveled from Virginia to Florida, where he boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise ship before docking in the Turks and Caicos Islands. When he was boarding the ship for his return journey, cruise ship security found two stray bullets in his bag.
“I“This is a backpack…I haven’t used it in a while, but I used to use it to load up my car with supplies and go to the shooting range. So for this trip, I took it out, checked it in, and went through TSA security. We went through a security check at the port in Miami. It was a day and a half sailing to Grand Turk Island, and then we spent a day here,” Wenrich explained. “We spent about eight or nine hours on the island, and when we got on board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, we scanned our bags and found one bullet, and then we scanned our bags again and found a second bullet. A bullet was found.”
Three U.S. governors urge Turks and Caicos Islands to release Americans held over ammunition issue
Tyler Wenrich is facing a minimum of 12 years in prison after two stray bullets were found in his bag while he was returning from the Turks and Caicos Islands. (Michael Wenrich)
Cruise ship authorities then took Wenrich to local police.
“That’s when I knew things were starting to go wrong.”
Court hearing for American arrested with ammunition in bag in Turks and Caicos could set new precedent
Other Americans arrested in Turkey for possession of ammunition include Shalitta Gurria of Florida. Oklahoma’s Ryan WatsonBrian Hagerich of Pennsylvania and Michael Lee Evans of Texas, were arrested at the island’s airport.
Five Americans have been arrested in Turks and Caicos Islands since February for bringing ammunition into the island’s airport. Left to right: Michael Lee Evans (not pictured), Brian Hagerich, Tyler Wenrich, Ryan Watson, Sharitta Greer. (Turks and Caicos Police/Dimitrios Cambris)
“Everyone else has been at the airport too, so their case is very different,” Wenrich said of his own case. “But it’s very similar in terms of the charges. I was actually able to meet them in person last week and go to lunch and talk about those kinds of things as well. But we’re in touch every day. ”
American arrested in Turks and Caicos Islands receives 12-year sentence for ‘innocent mistake’: ‘We had no idea’
Wenrich said the support he and his family have received from friends and locals back home, as well as other Americans in Turks and Caicos, has been “phenomenal.”
Both Tyler Wenrich and Ryan Watson are scheduled to appear in court in the Turks and Caicos Islands on June 7th. (Michael Wenrich)
“Our friends and family have been amazing at looking after them and the local community has just been helpful and supportive. [my wife and children]”They’ve brought us food and everything,” Wenrich said. “And we here … have received a lot of support from other Americans who are involved in this. And we try to stay in touch every day and encourage each other and keep praying for each other.”
Wenrich said that while “the situation is terrible,” other Americans arrested since February have proven to be a “great support system.”
VIDEO: Father of VA man detained in Turks and Caicos speaks out
A date has not yet been set for Wenrich’s sentencing hearing, at which point he will know whether he will be sentenced to prison in Grand Turk.
“I think some parts of the system need to collude to put in place better failsafes…”
“Everybody makes mistakes,” he said. “And this was true for all of us. And we need to be aware of what we’re traveling with, and I think some of our systems need to conspire to have better fail-safes in place just in case this does happen.”
Wenrich’s plea came a day after a bipartisan congressional delegation visited TCI on Monday and urged government leaders to release Americans who were detained for having ammunition in their bags.
“The US delegation raised concerns about the cases of five US nationals currently on trial, concerns about their health status and clarification of the legal process,” the TCI Governor’s Office said in a statement on Monday. “In order to preserve the integrity of the legal process, the Governor confirmed that it would not be appropriate to accommodate the delegation’s request to meet with the Chief Justice.”
A bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegation visited TCI officials on Monday to discuss the arrests of five Americans on ammunition charges. (TCI Government Office)
The governor and premier also said they “cannot intervene or comment on ongoing litigation in court,” the statement continued. “They explained that Turks and Caicos Islands has clear laws prohibiting the possession of firearms and ammunition, and that severe penalties are in place to protect all people living in and visiting Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Last week, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin sent a letter to Turks and Caicos Islands Gov. Dilini Daniel Selvaratnam calling for the release of Watson, Hagerich and Wenrich.
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“Like thousands of Americans each year, these individuals recently visited our beautiful territory for leisure purposes,” the governors said in a joint letter shared with Fox News Digital. “They all claim they never intended to bring the ammunition into the Turks and Caicos Islands, and that the ammunition left in their luggage unknowingly is the result of lawful conduct in the United States. None of them carried firearms with them. I understand that he did not have it.”
