The American man who mistakenly brought hunting ammo into Turks and Caicos is breathing a sigh of relief as he heads back home — ’cause he won’t do any major prison time.
Tyler Wenrich — a Virginia 911 operator and emergency medical tech — got hit with a hefty $9,000 fine, and has been sentenced to 3 weeks in jail — but seeing as he’s already spent that time in prison, the court’s calling it even-steven and recognizing it as time served.
Wenrich initially faced up to 12 years behind bars — the minimum term for smuggling ammo into the country — after his guilty plea on two counts of ammo possession for two 9mm rounds on May 21.
However, Justice Davidson Baptiste cited “exceptional circumstances” in his case … adding in a statement “enforcing the mandatory minimum would have been arbitrary and disproportionate and would not serve the public interest.”
Wenrich said a weight has been lifted off both his and his wife’s shoulders — especially since his case was a huge emotional rollercoaster … seeing how he had no idea which way the pendulum would swing.
Wenrich’s now itching to head back to the States and reunite with his wife and 18-month-old son.
He previously said he simply forgot he had the ammo with him while cruising to Turks and Caicos for a bachelor bash — so yeah, he’ll be double-checking his luggage from here on out.
Important to note … T&C doesn’t manufacture firearms or ammo, but they’ve still been finding their way in. Just days before Wenrich’s case, Bryan Hagerich, a father of two, dodged a bullet with a suspended 52-week sentence and a $6,700 fine for having hunting ammo in his own checked luggage.
Three more people are currently in hot water, facing similar ammunition charges and anxiously awaiting their fate.
