Oklahoma's Ryan Watson is coming home after avoiding a 12-year prison sentence in the Turks and Caicos Islands for carrying ammunition in his luggage.
The Oklahoma man who was facing 12 years in a tropical prison after Turks and Caicos authorities found four stray bullets in his luggage is coming back to the United States after a months-long ordeal. Ryan Watson, 40, was arrested in April at the country's main airport. At his sentencing hearing Friday, Watson received a suspended 13-week jail sentence and a fine of $2,000 – or $500 per bullet, according to family spokesman Jonathan Franks.
Watson was expected to pay the fine and get on a flight to Oklahoma City before the end of the day. After the sentencing, the judge urged American travelers bound for Turks and Caicos to double-check their bags and asked the Transportation Safety Administration to screen outgoing travelers. Watson is one of at least five Americans arrested this year who were arrested for violating Turks and Caicos' ammunition law.
The country's parliament agreed unanimously earlier this week to revise the new ordinance after 'a great deal of flacking' from American lawmakers, the country's Newsline TCI reported. In May, a bipartisan congressional delegation flew to Turks and Caicos and appealed in person for the U.S. citizens' release.
Texas' Michael Lee Evans, 72, pleaded guilty to possessing seven rounds of ammunition, according to The Sun TCI. He was still awaiting sentencing but had been allowed to return to the U.S. due to a serious illness, according to authorities. Virginia's Tyler Wenrich was freed in May after paying a $10,000 fine. Sharitta Grier, of Florida, is also awaiting her sentencing.
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