TALLAHASSEE, FL—The fifth and final American detained for ammunition possession in the Turks and Caicos Islands has been released with a $1,500 fine; a far superior judgment to the 12-year mandatory sentence the native Floridian could have faced.
"This outcome proves once again that under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida is looking out for its citizens not only in Florida but around the world," said Secretary of State and Chief Protocol Officer Cord Byrd, touting the return of Sharitta Grier, a 45-year-old mother, grandmother, and Orlando resident.
"We are thankful and relieved that Ms. Grier is finally on her way home and can put this unfortunate incident behind her."
Grier was visiting Turks and Caicos with her daughter for Mother's Day when officials at the Howard Hamilton International Airport said they found two rounds of ammunition in her bag after she purchased a firearm for her own protection. She pled guilty to one count of ammo possession and was subsequently released on a $15,000 bail, though she was ordered to remain in the territory until the completion of her case.
"I was shocked. I was actually shocked. I couldn't believe it," Grier told Magnetic Media after her sentencing hearing, adding that she was "afraid" that she would get the mandatory 12-year sentence for tourists accused of carrying ammunition on the islands, Fox News reported.
On July 11th, the court released Grier back to Florida with a 23-week suspended sentence and a fine of $1,500, a shortened ruling reflected in the cases of four other Americans also detained for ammunition: Bryan Hagerich, 39, of Pennsylvania; Ryan Watson, 40, of Oklahoma; Tyler Wenrich, 31, of Virginia; and Michael Lee Evans, 72, of Texas.
Security found ammo in all five Americans' bags as they were traveling home. Wenrich was sentenced to time served and fined $9,000, Hagerich to a suspended 52-week sentence with a fine of $6,700, Watson was fined $2,000 -- $500 for each of four bullets discovered in his luggage, and Evans received a 33-week suspended sentence with no fine.
Secretary Byrd joined a delegation to the islands in May to negotiate their release, urging the government to change their laws to stop tourists from facing the mandatory 12-year prison sentence unless the court finds "exceptional circumstances." So, in June, the Turks and Caicos government changed its laws to give courts more discretion.
