Oklahoma man facing 12 years in Turks & Caicos prison released on bond, banned from travel

An American man facing 12 years in prison in Turks & Caicos after airport security found ammunition in his duffel bag won’t have to spend one more night in jail. For now.

Ryan Watson, 40, appeared before a court on Wednesday, agreeing to pay $15,000 to secure his release, according to a news alert from The Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force. 

The court granted Watson's release about two weeks after he was initially detained and arrested. He's being released with a slew of stipulations, including being prohibited from leaving the archipelago nation. He also had to surrender his passport and travel documents to the court, and needs to report to police twice a week as his case moves through the system.

His next court hearing is set for June 7.

Here’s what we know.

Why were Ryan and Valerie Watson detained in the Turks and Caicos?

Ryan and Valerie Watson were in Turks & Caicos to celebrate the 40th birthdays of several friends in early April, USA TODAY reported.

The couple was trying to catch a flight back home on April 12, when airport security found four rounds of ammunition “unknowingly left in a duffel bag from a deer hunting trip,” according to a GoFundMe post made on behalf of the family. 

They were both questioned and subsequently charged with possession of ammunition, a charge that carries a minimum of 12 years in prison in Turks & Caicos.

The couple was stuck on the island without passports, unable to get back to their two young children, which left Valerie Watson “terrified.” 

“We can't both be in prison for 12 years. We have kids at home," she told WBTS-TV in Boston "And this is such an innocent mistake that we ... didn't even know it was there. So yeah, my immediate thought was our kids and them being parentless for that long."

Ryan Watson maintains that it was a “bonehead mistake” on his part, not knowing that the ammunition rounds he typically uses to hunt whitetail deer were in his bag, the outlet reported.

Ultimately, the charges were dropped against Valerie Watson, who has returned to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma governor vouches for family: ‘Outstanding members of the community’ 

Days after the Watson family was detained, Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt sent a letter to the Turks & Caicos Islands government in an attempt to get the home sooner.

“The Watsons are upstanding members of their community and the State of Oklahoma, and I can assure you countless others stand willing to confirm their high moral characters,” Stitt said.

He continued to say that the couple would never “intentionally break the law,” emphasizing the importance of having them return to Oklahoma so they can continue to serve the community, Valerie as a school teacher and Ryan as a medical product salesman.

 And so that their children, Van and Ellie, don’t have to face another day without both parents, he said.

Family creates GoFundMe to bring Ryan Watson home 

Close friends have created a GoFundMe on behalf of the Watson family to cover the costs of “mounting legal fees, living expenses, and the overwhelming stress of their situation.” 

Valerie Watson said that the strain her family is under is tremendous, telling WBTS-TV that it could “ruin them.” 

“We've already talked, and we're like, what if we lose our house? Which, when we moved to Oklahoma, we built a home that we thought was our forever home,” she said. 

The sentiment was echoed by Ryan Watson, who says “this is something that we may never recover from.” 

“The emotional and financial toll is immense, and they are at risk of losing everything,” the fundraiser description reads. 

The GoFundMe had raised about $196,000 of the $250,000 goal by Friday night. 

What happens next?

Valerie Watson and her children are awaiting her husband’s next court appearance, set for June 7.

Even though Ryan Watson “forgot” about the ammunition in his bag, he may not be able to leave the Turks & Caicos Islands without serving time. The government prohibits anyone, of status or origin, to possess a firearm, ammunition, or any other weapon.

There are exceptions to this, of course, but the court is still required to issue “both a sentence of imprisonment and a fine” that are in line with what the court would consider an “exceptional circumstance,” USA TODAY reported. 

The Turks & Caicos government stiffened the penalties for firearm possession in February, noting that there were a handful of cases involving "exceptional circumstances" that allowed accused people to get away with paying a fine. “exceptional circumstances."