A man from Richmond, Virginia, escaped a 12-year prison sentence for accidentally bringing two stray bullets into Turks and Caicos. After spending three weeks in jail, the judge released him for time served and with a $9,000 fine.
In Turks and Caicos, bringing weapons and ammunition to the islands can mean a minimum of 12 years in prison. When he debarked a Royal Caribbean ship on April 20, Tyler Wenrich did not check his luggage thoroughly.
As he reboarded the vessel at the Grand Turk Cruise Center, the security scanners revealed two 9-millimeter rounds in his bag. Weinrich was arrested and detained by local authorities.
| Recalling the event, Weinrich told FOX News, “When I was boarding the ship, they scanned the bag, found one bullet. They scanned the bag again, found the second bullet. Checked our room to make sure there wasn’t anything else there which there wasn’t. They turned me over to the local police. That’s when I knew things were going sideways.” |
The 31-year-old later explained that he quickly checked the backpack before his trip and passed checks by the Transportation Security Administration and PortMiami. He added that he might have missed the bullets after visiting a local shooting range.
The Royal Caribbean cruise passenger pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of ammunition on May 21. A week later, Justice Davidson Baptiste penalized Weinrich with a $9,000 fine and sentenced him to time served, leaving him free to return home.
According to the presiding judge, he recognized the “exceptional circumstances” of Weinrich’s case. Baptiste explained, “Enforcing the mandatory minimum would have been arbitrary and disproportionate, and would not serve the public interest.”
Detainees must Prove Extraordinary Circumstances
Since February, five Americans have been detained in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) for possessing ammunition. Weinrich is the only cruise ship passenger among them
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Because of the territory’s strict firearms and ammunition laws, they must each demonstrate that their arrests were made under extraordinary circumstances to avoid the 12-year sentence.
In light of recent events, the US State Department issued a firm reminder, “We strongly encourage you to carefully check your luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing for TCI. If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody.”
