A Virginia dad who forgot he had ammunition in his luggage while going on a cruise says it’s a living “nightmare” to be facing a minimum 12-year sentence in a Turks and Caicos prison.
Tyler Wenrich, a 31-year-old paramedic, has been on Grand Turk Island since his arrest over two weeks ago after two 9mm rounds were detected in his bag at a security checkpoint as he returned to the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship following a beach excursion.
“I can almost not wrap my head around it still, and I’m living in it,” he told NBC10 Boston from the island he is not allowed to leave, keeping him from his wife and 1-year-old son.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s happening — and it’s definitely a nightmare.”
“I checked it before I left, and it was just a complete oversight on me, TSA, and the port security,” he said of how he was able to carry it before it was finally detected. “Three groups missed that ammunition.”
The crime used to only lead to a small fine. However, Turks and Caicos lawmakers mandated a 12-year minimum sentence in 2022.
Wenrich posted bail last week and is currently stuck on the island, living with his father as the case moves through the courts.
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Author: Paul Bedard
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