VA Man Held In Turks and Caicos Avoids Prison Sentence For Ammunition

LOUISA COUNTY, VA — A man from Louisa County, Virginia, was sentenced Tuesday without prison time after being found with ammunition in his bag in Turks and Caicos.

Tyler Wenrich had ammunition at a security checkpoint when arriving in Turks and Caicos on a bachelor party cruise, according to ABC News. Wenrich said he forgot about the ammunition in his bag from a trip to a gun range with friends. Turks and Caicos has a mandatory minimum 12-year prison sentence for gun and ammunition-related crimes.

Lesser offenses can be given due to "exceptional circumstances." That was the case Tuesday as Wenrich got a sentence of time served and a $9,000 fine, ABC News reported.

In a statement to ABC News, Wenrich said he was happy to return home to his 18-month-old son. His wife was in Turks and Caicos for the sentencing.

Wenrich was arrested on April 23 after authorities found two hunting bullets in his bag. He pleaded guilty to the possession of ammunition offenses on May 21.

Sen. Mark Warner, one of the senators representing Virginia, said the sentence came after advocacy from his office and Congress.

"I’m glad to see Virginia resident Tyler Wenrich receive a lenient sentence for mistakenly bringing just two hunting bullets to Turks and Caicos while on a cruise," said Warner in a statement. "Tyler never sought to break the law, so I’m deeply relieved that the justice system chose fairness and leniency over a 12-year prison sentence. I’m thrilled he will be able to return home to Louisa County with his wife and one-year-old son, and I will continue advocating for the safe return of wrongly detained Americans across the world."

Several other Americans had been recently arrested for ammunition-related offenses in Turks and Caicos, according to WRIC.