Another American Facing Prison in Turks and Caicos

5 have been arrested in last 6 months on ammo charges
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted May 15, 2024 2:30 AM CDT
Another US Tourist Faces 12 Years in Prison for Ammo in Bag
This undated photo provided by Turks & Caicos Properties LTD/Premiere Estates shows a 5.7-acre (23,000 sq.-meter) property property in Prince's real estate portfolio in the Turks and Caicos Islands.   (Turks & Caicos Properties LTD/Premiere Estates via AP)

Another American has been arrested in Turks and Caicos for alleged possession of ammunition, bringing the number of US tourists facing ammo charges in the Caribbean territory in the past six months to five. The latest detainee has not been identified, and authorities haven't even released information like such as their gender, though two island media outlets are claiming the person is a woman, NBC News reports. All police have said so far, per CBS News, is that "a visitor was arrested at the Howard Hamilton International Airport yesterday [May 13] after ammunition was allegedly found during a routine security check."

Last month, the arrest of an Oklahoma man who says he accidentally left four bullets from a previous hunting trip in his bag made headlines. At the time, a Texas man and a Pennsylvania man were facing similar charges. Then, soon after the Oklahoma man was arrested, a Virginia man was arrested. He, like the others, faces 12 years in prison over the two bullets that were found in his luggage. Prior to February, tourists who were found to have ammo or a weapon could pay a fine, but the law changed to include a 12-year mandatory minimum prison term, though judges are allowed to issue lesser sentences in "exceptional" circumstances. (More Turks and Caicos Islands stories.)

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