Gov. Josh Shapiro and the governors of Virginia and Oklahoma are calling on the leader of Turks and Caicos Islands to reconsider ammunition charges filed against a Pennsylvania man and two others being detained in the Caribbean territory.

In a letter to the islands’ Gov. Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, the governors ask for the expedited release of Bryan Hagerich of Somerset County, Tyler Scott Wenrich of Virginia and Ryan Tyler Watson of Oklahoma, who are charged with ammunition offenses after bullets were found in their luggage at the airport.

“They have all maintained that they did not intend to bring ammunition into Turks and Caicos, and any ammunition unknowingly left in their luggage was the result of lawful conduct in the United States,” the letter states.

Hagerich was on his way back to the U.S. from a family vacation with his wife and children when he was arrested on Feb. 13 for having 20 rounds of ammunition in his luggage, according to media reports. His wife Ashley told WPXI that her husband had used that same bag on hunting trips and the ammunition was “just leftover in a secure pouch and it was just forgotten about.”

In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration requires ammunition to be in a secure case in checked luggage whereas Turks and Caicos laws are more stringent.

The 39-year-old Hagerich appeared in court in Turks and Caicos on May 10, where the judge told him he must remain on the islands for another three weeks until his sentencing. The other two men have hearings set for June 7 and also must remain in Turks and Caicos until at least then. In the weeks that followed, two more Americans, one as recently as Monday, have been arrested on ammunition possession charges and are being detained in this British territory.

The U.S. Embassy in Nassau has issued a travel alert that states firearms, ammunition and other weapons are not permitted in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It states the penalty for traveling there with those items “can result in a minimum custodial sentence of twelve (12) years.” It goes on to say: “If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody. You are subject to TCI laws and must follow local law enforcement procedures.”

In the letter to Daniel-Selvaratnam dated on Tuesday, Shapiro and Oklahoma’s Gov. J. Kevin Stitt and Virginia’s Gov. Glenn Youngkin state: “As governors, we understand and appreciate the critical importance of upholding the laws and regulations of your territory for the protection of your citizens. We humbly ask that your government — in its wisdom — temper justice with mercy and recognize that these men made mistakes but had no apparent malicious intent.”

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