CNN
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Four Americans are charged with possession of ammunition in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a tropical getaway in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the post From the Turks and Caicos Islands Government.
Firearms are prohibited in the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to the TCI government. It is “strictly prohibited” to bring firearms or ammunition (including stray ammunition) into British Overseas Territories without prior police permission.
According to an April recommendation from the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas, individuals who violate the law face a minimum sentence of 12 years in prison. The island government's post on X said judges have the discretion to lower the minimum amount if there are “exceptional circumstances.”
According to a post from the Turks and Caicos Islands government, the four Americans are Michael Lee Evans, 72; Brian Hagerich (age not given). Tyler Scott Wenrich, 31 years old. and Ryan Tyler Watson (40).
“The darkest day and night of my life”
Speaking exclusively to ABC, Hagerich detailed his recent arrest after pleading guilty to bringing live ammunition to the Turks and Caicos Islands while on vacation.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, a lawyer representing him told CNN. The court heard pre-sentence arguments Friday from Hagerich's defense team and prosecutors, said his attorney Oliver Smith. Smith said he is challenging “the constitutionality of the law regarding how judges sentence defendants under current law.”
The court will rule on this constitutional point and sentence Hagerich in accordance with its May 29 decision, Smith said.
In an interview with ABC's Matt Rivers ahead of the trial, Hagerich said bringing in the ammunition was an accident.
Hagerich told the ABC in February that he was arrested after several rounds of ammunition were found in his luggage while going through airport security. Mr Hagerich and his family had left the Turks and Caicos Islands and were returning home from a vacation with his children.
Hagerich told the ABC that while at the airport, her bag was selected for a random search and then her name was called over the PA system.
Authorities later found hunting ammunition that Hagerich had left in his bag after a recent trip.
Brian's wife Ashley told the ABC she had begged authorities to take action.
“I remember begging, 'Can't you just pay the fine?' Like it was an honest mistake,” Ashley told ABC, “and it was a firm 'no'.”
Hagerich said in an interview aired Friday morning that he was arrested in front of his children, ages 4 and 6, and spent eight nights in jail.
“That was the darkest day and night of my life,” Hagerich said.
According to the Turks and Caicos Islands government, Hagerich pleaded guilty to possessing 20 rounds of ammunition.
Hagerich is asking for leniency.
“I am the first to admit that I take full responsibility for my actions.” But Ms. Hagerich said, “There are other ways that this could be addressed and dealt with within the confines of Turks and Caicos Islands law. , which will allow me to return to my family,” he added.
While on bail, Mr Hagerich told the ABC that he shared a short-term rental agreement with Ryan Watson, another American recently charged under the Act.
“This is probably the loneliest thing I've ever been in my life,” Watson told ABC's Matt Rivers. “It's a little bit of support knowing there's someone going through the exact same thing as you,” he added.
Watson was arrested on April 12 at Howard Hamilton International Airport in Providenciales on similar charges, according to TCI police. Watson was released on April 24 after posting $15,000 bail, but was forced to surrender his passport and remain in the archipelago.
His next court hearing is scheduled for June 7, according to the TCI government.
Watson and his wife, Valerie, were detained as they left the Turks and Caicos Islands where they were celebrating the 40th birthday of several friends, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help the family with expenses. It was done.
According to the post, airport security found four rounds of ammunition “unknowingly left in a duffle bag during a deer hunting trip.”
Valerie Watson has been cleared of charges and allowed to return to Oklahoma, according to an April 23 update on the fundraising page. The page does not list the reason for her release.
The TCI government has declined further comment on the arrested Americans.
According to the GoFundMe post, the ammunition “was not noticed by TSA upon exiting the United States.” “They now face a legal system that is unfamiliar, daunting and costly.”
In a statement to CNN, the TSA confirmed Wednesday that four rounds of ammunition were not found in a traveler's bag during security screening at Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport., Watson was traveling from there.
“TSA takes its security mission very seriously,” a TSA spokesperson said. “TSA is here to protect our transportation security systems, but oversights have occurred and TSA is addressing them internally.”
The agency added that it is working on perfecting a system to detect prohibited items to ensure smooth and safe travel.
CNN has reached out to Watson and Hagerich's families for more information about the incident and has reached out to their attorneys.
Two other Americans, Michael Lee Evans and Tyler Scott Wenrich, also face long prison terms for ammunition possession, according to the TCI government.
“Travelers are strongly encouraged to screen their luggage before traveling to the Turks and Caicos Islands to avoid inadvertently bringing prohibited items,” the TCI government post said. “Transportation Security Administration checks may not identify ammunition in a traveler's baggage.”
TSA also said it is encouraging airline passengers to research local laws when traveling internationally and start preparing for travel with an empty bag.
Things to know before going to Turks and Caicos Islands
Tourists considering a trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands can access warnings from the TCI and the U.S. Department of State regarding the British Overseas Territories' Arms and Ammunition Act if they know where to find them online.
Last month, the State Department issued a travel warning advising Americans to “carefully check their luggage for ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing the United States.” Firearms, ammunition (including stray bullets), and other weapons are prohibited in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). TCI authorities strictly enforce all firearms and ammunition laws. ”
More detailed information is also available on the Department's Turks and Caicos Islands webpage under the heading “Local Laws and Special Circumstances.”
Travelers can find important information from the Department of State about their destinations here.
CNN’s Michael Rios, Tanika Gray and Forrest Brown contributed to this report.
