American arrested in Turks and Caicos Islands for ammunition in hand luggage receives 13-week suspended prison sentence

A third American who was arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands in recent months for possession of ammunition, was sentenced Friday to 13 weeks in prison and fined $2,000, his spokesperson said on social media.

Ryan Watson, from Oklahoma, had pleaded guilty and faced a prison sentence for four cartridges found in his hand luggage during his visit to the British territory earlier this year.

Watson was on bail for weeks as his case moved through the islands' court system, but he was not allowed to return to his wife, Valerie Watson, and their two children in the United States until his case is resolved.

According to spokesman Jonathan Franks, the judge ruled that the case was based on exceptional circumstances and that the long sentence would be arbitrary.

“We will make payment shortly, leave TCI and plan to fly home to OKC this evening,” Franks tweeted Friday.

Watson was arrested on April 12 when four rounds of hunting ammunition were found in his carry-on luggage as the couple attempted to return home from a vacation. Valerie Watson was allowed to return to the United States and did not face any charges.

Ryan Watson told CBS News in April that he regretted the ordeal and had no intention of breaking the islands' laws.

“There was no intention behind it and it was 100 percent a mistake and an accident,” Watson said.

Two other Americans arrested in similar circumstances were convicted last month. Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania was given a suspended sentence and a $6,700 fine for possession of 20 shotgun shells found in his checked bag during a family vacation. Tyler Wenrich of Virginia was sentenced to time served and a $9,000 fine for two 9mm cartridges found in his backpack while trying to board a cruise ship. The two men returned to the United States

Hagerich and Wenrich faced mandatory minimum sentences of 12 years in prison, but courts found there were exceptional circumstances in their cases, leading to lighter sentences for the Americans.

As members of the U.S. Congress call for leniency toward Americans, island lawmakers have reconsidered the mandatory minimum sentence for gun offenses. According to local newspaper The Sun, the Legislative Assembly voted on June 14 to approve an amendment giving judges more discretion in sentencing when they find exceptional circumstances.

Grandma from Florida The case of Sharitta Grier is still pending on the islands. She was arrested in May after two bullets were allegedly found in her carry-on luggage as she returned home from a surprise Mother's Day vacation.

A fifth American, Michael Lee Evans of Texas, was allowed to return to the United States for medical reasons while he is out on bail.