Florida mom is arrested in Turks and Caicos for ammo in suitcase – the fifth American tourist detained on the islands this year over bullets in their bags
A fifth American tourist has been arrested after ammunition was found in her luggage at a Turks and Caicos airport.
Sharitta Shinese Grier, 45, was arrested at Howard Hamilton International Airport last Monday, with Turks and Caicos Police saying bullets were found “during a routine security check.”
It is the latest in a series of arrests on the island since February, with four others now facing charges after being caught with ammunition in their luggage.
Willie Lucas, Grier’s mother, said it was heartbreaking to leave her daughter on the island while the rest of the family returned to Florida.
“I didn’t want to come home,” she said Fox 35. “Be safe when you go out of town. Just be safe. Take care and keep us in your prayers, for God knows we will certainly need it.”
During a routine security check, ammunition was found in Sharitta Shinese Grier’s luggage
Sharitta Shinese Grier is the fifth American tourist arrested in Turks and Caicos
Sharitta Grier, center, now lives in a rental home on the island with Ryan Watson, left, and Bryan Hagerich, seen right, all of whom were caught with ammunition in their bags
Chanchy Willis, Grier’s cousin, has said it was “just a terrible mistake” that the ammunition was found.
“Just for two bullets? It was just a terrible mistake for all five of them,” Willis said.
Grier has posted bail and is now living in a rental home on the island, along with other Americans who have been arrested. No one is allowed to leave the island.
She will appear in court on July 5.
None of the arrested men Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania, Tyler Wenrich of Virginia and Michael Lee Evans of Texas are connected in any way.
“Watching the others and how close they are, and reaching out to her, showing her that she’s not alone, they’re all in this together, it brings joy to my heart,” Willis said.
Evans, 72, was granted $20,000 bail and cleared to return to the U.S. due to a medical condition. indicate reports he is suffering from terminal cancer.
Wenrich has been in Turks and Caicos since April 20. He was granted bail and is staying with his father. He is awaiting a hearing this week where the judge can pronounce a verdict the same day. News Nation reports.
‘We’ll hear some news soon, and that will cheer you up a bit. The next moment they collide with something else. So it’s a bad rollercoaster of a ride right now because the emotions are up and the movement has come down,” Michael Wenrich said.
“We really don’t know how this is going to play out because when we look at previous cases, they are all different in terms of the outcome.”
Willie Lucas, left, was at a loss for words when she learned her daughter, Sharitta Grier, had been arrested while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands on charges of possession of ammunition
Ryan Watson, 40, from Oklahoma, said his family is in the dark about his fate, and “we can’t set any expectations about when I can be home for those kids.”
“To not be with my kids, not to be home with Valerie right now, it’s the most horrible thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said during an interview last month.
He said getting his children back “is and always will be my ultimate goal.”
Watson has remained on the islands for almost a month because he has to appear in court on June 7.
At one point, his wife Valerie also faced jail time before her charges were dropped.
A small bag of bullets in a Ziplock bag was found in Ryan’s luggage, raising questions about how the US TSA missed them when he left on vacation through Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma.
“We had no intention of ever bringing anything to this country. “We were just trying to pack board shorts and flip flops, and that’s all we were worried about,” Watson told Fox News.
Bryan Hagerich (left) and Ryan Watson (right) each face 12 years in Turks and Caicos Prison after loose bullets were found in their luggage
Ryan Watson and his wife Valerie arrive on their Turks and Caicos holiday together
Ryan was held at Chalk Sound Police Station (pictured) until he posted bail, but he cannot leave the island as his passport has been confiscated
Michael Lee Evans, 72, was granted $20,000 bail and cleared to return to the US due to a medical condition, with reports suggesting he is suffering from terminal cancer
Pennsylvania’s Bryan Hagerich was about to take the lead back home to the US and insists he had no intention of bringing ammunition to the islands.
He said it was hard being away from his family.
“As a father, it is my responsibility to provide for my family, protect my family and support them in every way imaginable. And for me it’s just been catastrophic,” he said.
Bryan has since missed both of his children’s birthdays and said he is terrified of the prospect of missing their childhood if he is sentenced to the full 12 years in prison.
Each of those arrested could potentially face up to 12 years in prison.
“Twelve years is a long time, and all those special things that you look forward to as a parent, knowing you might not be able to be there for them, that’s what keeps me up at night,” he said.
Bryan Hagerich (pictured with his wife Ashley and their children, Palmer and Catherine) was arrested in February
Bryan Hagerich, 39, left, was arrested in February, while Ryan Tyler Watson, 40, right, was charged in April – both for possession of ammunition
Bryan Hagerich, 39, was arrested in February after ammunition was found in his luggage
Ryan Watson, 40, a keen hunter, said loose hunting bullets were found in his luggage when he and his wife Valerie left their holiday. He still lives on the island
Tyler Wenrich, 31, pictured with his wife Jeriann, also faces 12 years in prison after two 9mm bullets were found in his luggage on April 20 as he left on a bachelor party cruise
‘It never occurred to us to investigate this kind of thing. And there are many locals who have been such a blessing and had such gracious hearts.”
The detainees must now argue before the TCI Superior Court that they were arrested under “exceptional circumstances,” including proving that they have no prior criminal record, that they did not intend to bring ammunition to the airport and why a prison sentence of twelve years would be excessive. their cases.