Bryan Hagerich receives 52 weeks probation in the Turks and Caicos Islands

(NewsNation) – The first of five Americans arrested and charged with carrying ammunition in their luggage was convicted and fined Friday.

Bryan Hagerich, 39, was sentenced to 52 weeks probation and a $6,700 fine, according to a spokesman. He is expected to be released shortly and return to the United States.

“While I am overjoyed that Bryan Hagerich will be able to return to Pennsylvania and be reunited with his wife and two children, this horrific situation should never have happened to him and the four other Americans still awaiting sentencing,” said Republican Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania.

Strict weapons and ammunition laws

In the Turks and Caicos Islands – a British territory – firearms, weapons or ricochets are prohibited on the islands. Local authorities strictly enforce firearms and ammunition laws.

The Turks and Caicos Islands said in a statement that it was “the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that his baggage was free of” weapons and ammunition, as weapons and ammunition were “strictly prohibited” without prior authorization.

Even within the United States, discovery by airport security of improperly secured and undeclared ammunition or firearms can result in a fine and criminal prosecution.

The judge in the Hagerich case found “exceptional circumstances” and described a 12-year prison sentence as arbitrary, said spokesman Jonathan Franks.

Hagerich’s verdict gives hope to the three other Americans who remain in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The fifth defendant was able to return to the United States due to incurable health problems.

“A very simple, honest mistake”

Hagerich was on vacation with his wife and their two young children when hunting ammunition was discovered missing in his luggage in February. He was arrested by authorities and spent eight days in jail before being released on bail.

Since then, Hagerich has remained on the island, missing several events in his life back home in the United States, including his children’s birthdays.

Hagerich had previously told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that he was “absolutely terrified” of a possible prison sentence.

According to the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Hagerich pleaded guilty to carrying 20 rifle cartridges in his luggage.

Hagerich will learn his fate on Friday. He faces a conviction that could result in a prison sentence of at least 12 years.

Hagerich is not alone. Four other people are also stuck on the tropical island for the same reason.

Ryan Watson, Tyler Wenrich, Michael Evans and Sharitta Shinise Grier were also arrested and charged with possession of ammunition in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Ryan Watson

Watson, 40, and his wife Valerie visited the islands in early April for her birthday, but as they were on their way home on April 12, they were stopped by airport security and escorted to the police station.

Airport authorities claimed to have found ammunition in Ryan Watson’s hand luggage. He called it a “stupid mistake” and unintentional. Locals helped him pay the bail and he said he was grateful for the people he met but he wanted to return home.

Watson’s next court date is scheduled for June 7.

Tyler Wenrich

Wenrich, 31, has been in the Turks and Caicos Islands since April 20. His father told NewsNation that Wenrich spent three days in jail and was then transferred to a prison where he spent a total of 14 days behind bars. He was released on bail and has been with his father since the verdict was announced.

Wenrich said the bullets were “unknowingly left in a duffel bag they had during a deer hunting trip” and went unnoticed by airport authorities upon leaving the United States.

Michael Evans

Evans, 72, was also arrested and charged after authorities said in December they found bullets in his luggage. He was released on $20,000 bail and allowed to return to the United States on medical grounds because he has terminal cancer.

He pleaded guilty to illegal possession of ammunition and faces a minimum sentence of 12 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June.

Sharitta Shinise Grier

Grier, 45, of Orlando, was arrested on May 13 and charged with possession of ammunition, according to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. She was traveling with her daughter, who was also arrested but later released. On the day of her arrest, Grier was visiting her daughters for Mother’s Day.

According to police, Grier appeared in district court last week and was remanded in custody. A hearing on the admissibility of the charges is scheduled for July 5.

The decision is up to the judge, says Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos government’s latest statement said no American has ever been sentenced to 12 years in prison for illegal possession of ammunition, and that a judge could impose a lesser sentence in the form of a fine.

But the possibility of a prison sentence of more than ten years remains a daunting fear for all families.

The governor of Oklahoma said he was working behind the scenes to release the four Americans.

Governor Kevin Stitt had previously described the charges against the four men, including an Oklahoman, as “absurd.”