U.S. resident faces punishment for possessing ammunition in Turks and Caicos, while uncertainty surrounds the release of a Florida mother.
Ryan Tyler Watson, a resident of Oklahoma, admitted guilt earlier this month for having four bullets in his possession. An official from the Turks and Caicos government confirmed this. Watson was granted bail and instructed to remain on the islands until sentencing.
On Friday, Watson was handed a 13-week suspended sentence and a $2,000 fine – $500 for each bullet, as specified by a court spokesperson who spoke with CNN. Watson won't have to serve the 13-week term "as long as he avoids committing any crimes and maintains peace on TCI for a period of 9 months," according to the court spokesperson. Watson is now free to leave the territory, having been cleared by TCI justice authorities.
Watson is expected to return to Oklahoma City by Friday night, as indicated by Jonathan Franks, a spokesperson for Bring Our Families Home.
"We will soon make the payment, depart TCI, and predict being back in OKC tonight," Franks posted from the courthouse.
Watson visited Turks and Caicos with his wife in April to celebrate several friends' 40th birthdays. However, carrying firearms or ammunition into Turks and Caicos without written authorization from the police is strictly prohibited.
The British Overseas Territory does not manufacture guns or ammunition, yet the number of firearms being smuggled to the islands has been increasing, Turks and Caicos Premier C. Washington Misick revealed in May. In comparison, the United States has significantly more guns than citizens.
"In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the law stands firm and applies equally to everyone, without exception," Misick stated in a press release last month.
Turks and Caicos recently revised part of its firearms law following a bipartisan group of US Congress members' visit to the islands southeast of the Bahamas. These officials requested officials to drop charges against five Americans they said had accidentally packed ammunition in their luggage.
The new amendment provides courts the discretion to impose either a fine, imprisonment, or a combination of both in exceptional circumstances when sentencing for firearms-related offenses. Prior to this amendment, the law required courts to impose both a fine and a 12-year prison sentence, although reduced sentences were allowed under exceptional circumstances.
Watson is the first of the five Americans to be sentenced under the amended firearms law, which took effect on Wednesday.
The current status of the other Americans
At least four other Americans have been recently arrested in Turks and Caicos on charges of possessing ammunition.
Bryan Hagerich has returned to the United States following a suspended 52-week sentence and a $6,700 fine, confirmed his attorney Oliver Smith.
Tyler Wenrich pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served and a $9,000 fine, as per court records.
Michael Lee Evans pleaded guilty to possession of seven 9 mm bullets and was scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, although it's unclear based on court records if the sentencing occurred. CNN has reached out to his attorney for additional details.
Sharitta Shinese Grier is expected to plead guilty in court next Tuesday, her attorney Sheena C. Mairto told CNN.
The Florida mother claimed she wasn't aware that two bullets were at the bottom of her luggage when she traveled to Turks and Caicos, according to CNN affiliate WFTV.
Grier was granted bail but cannot leave the islands until her trial concludes. She was also ordered to report to the police station weekly.
CNN’s Michael Rios, Michelle Watson, Alisha Ebrahimji and Sahar Akbarzai contributed to this report.
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The Turks and Caicos Islands, being a part of the Americas, has seen an increase in smuggled firearms, despite not manufacturing them itself. The United States, being a significant part of the world, has a much higher number of guns than citizens.
