Fifth American charged in Turks and Caicos over ammunition found at airport
Orlando woman Sharitta Shinise Grier, 45, faces a minimum 12-year sentence after two rounds of ammunition were found in her luggage. She is the fifth American charged under TCI gun laws this year.
Orlando mother arrested at TCI airport after ammunition found in luggage
A 45-year-old American woman has been charged with ammunition possession in Turks and Caicos after airport officials found two rounds of ammunition in her bag, abc7news.com reports. The offence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in prison.
Sharitta Shinise Grier, of Orlando, Florida, had travelled to the islands with her daughter for Mother's Day when officers conducted a routine search at Howard Hamilton International Airport on Monday. Police said officials claim to have found the rounds in her bag during that check. Both Grier and her daughter were arrested; the daughter was later released without charge.
Officials confirmed on Wednesday that Grier had been formally charged. She was expected to appear in court on Thursday. Attorney information for the defendant was not immediately available.
Two years ago, the Turks and Caicos government tightened its firearms legislation, prohibiting civilians from possessing firearms or ammunition on the islands. Under U.S. law, it is also illegal to transport firearms or ammunition to or from any Caribbean country without a licence.
Grier is the fifth American to be charged under the territory's gun laws in 2024.
Her case follows a series of similar arrests that have drawn significant attention from U.S. officials. Ryan and Valerie Watson of Oklahoma were arrested on 24 April after hunting ammunition was found in Ryan Watson's carry-on bag prior to their departure. Valerie Watson's charges were subsequently dropped, and she returned to the United States. Her husband was released on a $15,000 bond but remains on the island while his court case continues. Watson told ABC News he was unaware the ammunition was in the bag.
Bryan Hagerich, of Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to possession of 20 rounds of ammunition and is awaiting sentencing. Hagerich, arrested in February, said he had forgotten hunting ammunition was in his luggage. "I'm a man of character, integrity. I did not have intent in this," he previously told ABC News.
Michael Lee Evans, 72, of Texas, also pleaded guilty — to possession of seven 9mm rounds — and is likewise awaiting sentencing. Tyler Scott Wenrich, 31, was charged on 23 April after officials discovered illegal ammunition during a security checkpoint while he was travelling on a cruise.
The string of arrests has prompted calls from the defendants' families and American officials, who argue the island's laws and minimum penalties are disproportionately severe. On Wednesday, Governors Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia sent a joint letter to Turks and Caicos Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, urging her to release Watson, Hagerich and Wenrich.
"This action will create the necessary recognition of your laws that will impact the future actions of travelers and continue our mutual interest in justice and goodwill between our jurisdictions," the letter stated.
Source: Google News TC — Crime