U.S. tourist faces 12 years in prison after bringing ammunition to Turks and Caicos
An Oklahoma man faces up to 12 years in prison on a Caribbean island after customs officials found ammunition in his luggage.
An Oklahoma man faces up to 12 years in prison on a Caribbean island after customs officials found ammunition in his luggage.
Ryan Watson traveled to Turks and Caicos with his wife, Valerie, to celebrate his 40th birthday on April 7. They went with two friends who also turned 40.
The vacation came to an abrupt end when airport staff found a Ziploc containing bullets in the couple's carry-on luggage. Watson said it was hunting ammunition he had accidentally brought with him — but a strict law in Turks and Caicos may still see a court imposing a mandatory 12-year sentence.
"They were hunting ammunition rounds that I use for whitetail deer," Watson told NBC Boston in an interview conducted last week that aired after their first court appearance Tuesday.
"I recognized them and I thought, 'Oh man, what a bonehead mistake that I had no idea that those were in there,'" he said.
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