Man sentenced to time served, fined for bringing ammo to Turks and Caicos

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - A Virginia man was sentenced Tuesday to time served and was fined $9,000 for bringing ammunition to Turks and Caicos, according to multiple reports.

In April, Tyler Wenrich was taking a cruise for a bachelor party trip when authorities in Turks and Caicos found two bullets in his backpack.

He pleaded guilty last week to two counts of ammunition possession and had faced up to 12 years in prison.

In a statement, Sen. Mark Warner expressed his gratitude for a lenient sentence: “Tyler never sought to break the law, so I’m deeply relieved that the justice system chose fairness and leniency over a 12-year prison sentence. I’m thrilled he will be able to return home to Louisa County with his wife and one-year-old son, and I will continue advocating for the safe return of wrongly detained Americans across the world.”

His wife, Jeriann Wenrich, said that this was all “a complete and honest accident.”

He was one of five U.S. tourists who faced charges for possessing ammo on the island. A Pennsylvania man, Bryan Hagerich, flew home Friday, the Associated Press reported, after receiving a suspended sentence and a $6,700 fine.