PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — An American arrested in the Caribbean for illegally carrying ammunition received a suspended sentence Friday, according to a spokesperson for the Turks and Caicos Islands, and his lawyer said he was flying back to the United States.
The British territory adopted stricter gun laws in 2022 following a jump in gun violence and weapons trafficking. The U.S. State Department has cautioned travelers to Turks and Caicos to be vigilant about keeping guns and ammunition out of their luggage. “Very grateful to the Court for giving two very special kids their dad back,” Franks wrote in a post to the social media platform X. “Even more grateful to the numerous TCI nationals who helped along the way.”
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, met with Hagerich and other Americans facing similar charges earlier this week. Another American arrested in Turks and Caicos, Ryan Tyler Watson, of Oklahoma, was there to celebrate birthdays, a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page seeking donations for his legal defense. He has made bail but remains in that country with a June hearing scheduled.