An Oklahoma couple’s future is in jeopardy as one of them faces 12 years in prison for violating the guns and ammunition law in Turks and Caicos.
Ryan and Valerie Watson were detained for two weeks on the island after visiting on April 7 for a 40th birthday trip after hunting ammunition was found in Ryan’s carry-on bag at the airport ahead of their flight home.
The couple was charged at the time with possession of ammunition, facing a minimum prison sentence of 12 years each, under the strict law prohibiting the possession of guns or ammunition passed in 2022 in Turks and Caicos.
On Monday, April 22, Valerie’s charges were dropped and she was permitted to return to their two children in Oklahoma, NBC 10 Boston reported. However, her husband Ryan is still being kept behind bars on the island as he continues to face charges. He is scheduled for a bail hearing on Wednesday, April 24.
Ryan admitted it was a “bonehead mistake,” telling NBC 10, “They were hunting ammunition rounds that I use for whitetail deer … I had no idea that those were in there.”
After their passports were taken and they realized they could be facing prison time, Valerie said she became “terrified” at the thought of being apart from their children.
