Oklahoma Father Escapes Jail After Ammo Found in Luggage at Turks and Caicos Airport

A US visitor from Oklahoma who had four bullets in his carry-on when departing the islands in April has been handed a monetary penalty and allowed to leave without serving time behind bars.

Oklahoma Father Escapes Jail After Ammo Found in Luggage at Turks and Caicos Airport

A father from Oklahoma who was stopped at Howard Hamilton International Airport in April with four rounds in his hand luggage has walked away with a financial penalty and no prison term.

Ryan Watson was taken into custody on April 12 as he and his wife were about to board a flight home following a group holiday marking several friends' 40th birthdays. Screening officers spotted the four rounds inside his bag. Watson later admitted to possessing ammunition, telling the court he had not known the items were there.

At his sentencing on Friday, the judge ordered him to pay $2,000 — $500 per round — and ruled that "exceptional circumstances" applied, making the mandatory 12-year minimum sentence unnecessary. Watson was told that if he breaks the law anywhere in the territory during the coming nine months, he will spend 13 weeks incarcerated. He was due to pay the amount that same day and board a flight back to the United States.

Since his arrest, Watson had been living on the islands after posting a $15,000 surety. His case follows two similar ones involving American holidaymakers. Tyler Wenrich was ordered to pay $9,000 and was released after time already spent in detention, while Bryan Hagerich received a 52-week suspended term plus a $6,700 penalty. In both instances, judges also found exceptional circumstances.

Parliament recently amended the firearms law to clarify that magistrates may hand down fines alone, custody alone, or both when exceptional circumstances exist. The prosecution had opposed applying the new provision to Watson, arguing the offence happened before the change took effect.

Watson's lawyer, Oliver Smith, stressed that his client had owned up to the mistake and pointed to the strain the prolonged stay had placed on Watson's job selling medical equipment and on his two children. Before the hearing, Watson spoke to "Good Morning America" about his desire to be reunited with his family.

Another US national, Sharitta Grier, is still on bail after ammunition was discovered in her suitcase. Her lawyer says she intends to plead guilty at her next court appearance.

Source: ABC7 Bay Area

Source: Google News TC — Crime