In his first interview since being arrested on April 20, Tyler Wenrich is sharing his story of arrest and detention on the islands of Turks and Caicos on charges of possession of ammunition.
“I can almost not wrap my head around it still, and I'm living in it. You know, it's hard to. It's hard to believe that it's happening. And it's definitely a nightmare,” Wenrich told NBC10 Boston’s Leslie Gaydos.
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The 31-year-old has been on Grand Turk Island since his arrest over two weeks ago after two 9mm rounds were found in his bag as he tried to reboard a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship after a beach excursion.
“I've used that bag to go to the shooting range with friends and to carry my firearm in the past. So it was, you know, I checked it before I left, and it was just a complete oversight on me. TSA and, the port security, you know, three groups missed that ammunition,” said Wenrich.
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Wenrich posted bail last week pending a court hearing. He told Gaydos that Royal Caribbean security turned him over to Turks and Caicos authorities. NBC10 Boston reached out to Royal Caribbean about the incident and has not heard back.
“I spent, about three nights, in the jail and then I moved to the prison for about nine nights. It was extremely difficult,” said Wenrich. “The conditions were difficult but the people were more phenomenal, which helped.”
“It was still a very it was a very hard situation to be in,” shared Wenrich. “It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to go through.”
It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to go through.
Tyler Wenrich
Wenrich is a paramedic and said it has been hard being away from his wife and 1 1/2-year-old son, who live back in Virginia.
“They're not doing great. You know, my son's having trouble sleeping that night… something's wrong,” shared Wenrich. “He's old enough to know there's something wrong and my wife is trying to do the best she can.”
Wenrich said that while his wife has a strong support system it has been hard having him thousands of miles away living in uncertainty.
Wenrich is now living on the island with his father as his case moves through the courts. He said the situation has taken an emotional and financial toll.
“Tens of thousands of dollars that we're facing and just trying to survive here and legal fees," he explained.
He and his family have set up a crowdfunding website to help cover legal fees and expenses while he awaits his fate.
Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania and Ryan Watson of Oklahoma both pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition after bullets were found in their bags when they tried to board flights home after vacations on the island earlier this year. Hagerich will be sentenced May 29 and Watson will be in court next month. NBC10 Boston was the first to break the story of their detainment.
The TSA launched an investigation after our story aired, they confirmed they did a review of the airport Watson departed from and issued a statement saying, “TSA takes its security mission very seriously. TSA can confirm that four rounds of ammunition were not detected in the traveler’s bag during security screening at Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), which was the originating airport.”
“TSA is here to protect our transportation security systems, and an oversight occurred that the agency is addressing internally.” They confirmed to
A fourth American, Michael Evans was arrested in December, and pleaded guilty to possession of seven rounds of ammunition, according to police. He is in the U.S. on bail and has a June 18 sentencing hearing. All of the men face a possible 12-year prison sentence under TCI’s guns and ammunition law, but judges can consider exceptional circumstances.
The Turks and Caicos attorney general and the director of public prosecutions issued a statement last month saying the islands’ firearm ordinance “requires the Supreme Court to impose a mandatory minimum sentence and fine for certain firearm offenses, except in circumstances where the court finds that there are exceptional circumstances….”
The statement went on to add that there have been five separate cases within a two-year period where the Supreme Court on the islands has found exceptional circumstances. Four of the offenders were fined and one was given a custodial sentence below the mandatory minimum.
Michael Grim of Indiana was arrested last August for possession of ammunition and sentenced to eight months in prison.
It is a frightening waiting game but Wenrich said he is grateful for all of the support he has received.
“It's overwhelming. I am surprised and thankful about how many people and organizations have been supporting all of us,” said Wenrich. “My boss and my work has been phenomenal and they have helped us so much through this and I just can't thank people enough for getting the word out there, supporting us and praying for us to get through this.”
Wenrich said he is, “Just trying to lean on my faith and pray and, I’m thankful for the support system that we have.”
“I'm hoping for the best outcome for everybody….it's an unimaginable situation that we're in and we're all just trying to take it day by day to get through it.”
Unrelated to their cases, there have been a series of bomb threats on the islands of Turks and Caicos. The police commissioner of the Royal TCI Police Force issued a statement about a series of bomb threats on officials and the island’s two airports in recent weeks. They said no devices have been found and have asked the public for information about the hoax threats.
There have been a number of social media posts that have since made claims linking the threats to the American tourists, which prompted Hagerich and Watson to issue a statement:
“We condemn the recent threats against Turks and Caicos Islands officials and places, including airports and schools. We have nothing to do with them and hope authorities bring the perpetrator(s) to justice. Our families use the Turks and Caicos airports, we are parents of young children, and we take the safety of the TCI and everyone on them seriously.”
