American avoids jail time in Turks and Caicos over ammunition in luggage

NATION. THEY WERE WORKING AS MISSIONARIES IN HAITI, WHICH HAS THINKING VIOLENCE AND CIVIL UNREST SINCE FEBRUARY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND HAVE MUCH MORE IN THE NEXT HOUR. >>> AN AMERICAN WHO PLED GUILTY TO CARRYING AMMUNITION IN TURKS AND CAICOS WILL NOT FACE PRISON TIME. THE JUDGE FOUND THERE WERE EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO AVOID THE 12 YEAR MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCE FOR BRIAN HEAD WHICH. IS PRISON SENTENCE OF 52 WEEKS WAS SUSPENDED AND WILL HAVE TO PAY A $6700 FINE. HE WAS CHARGED AFTER CUTTING AMMO WAS FOUND IN HIS CHECKED LUGGAGE IN FEBRUARY. HE'S ONE OF FIVE AMERICANS CHARGED WITH CARRYING AMMUNITION IN THEIR LUGGAGE. ALL OF THEM SAY THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THEY HAD BULLETS WITH THEM. POSSESSING A GUN OR AMMUNITION IS ILLEGAL IN THE BRITISH TERRITORY. LET'S BRING IN OUR CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT. DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED TODAY. >> Reporter: THIS WENT DOWN AN HOUR AGO THE CHURCH DECIDED TO WIND DOWN THE SENTENCE OF 12 MONTHS SUSPENDED AND THE $6700 FINE. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN GOING INTO THE HEARING TODAY THAT THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT WHAT HAPPENED, THAT THOSE FIVE AMERICANS MAY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO UP TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON, WHICH IS A MANDATORY SENTENCE FOR ANYONE POSSESSING AMMUNITION OR FIREARMS ON THE ISLANDS OF TURKS AND CAICOS. SO, THAT WAS THE BIG CONCERN GOING INTO THIS. HE VERY WELL COULD SOON BE ON HIS WAY HOME. THE QUESTION IS THOSE FOUR OTHER AMERICANS WHO SAY THEY WERE FOUND WITH STRAY BULLETS IN THEIR BAGS AND IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, WHETHER THEY WILL GO THROUGH ESSENTIALLY THE SAME TYPE OF SENTENCING HERE. THAT IS WHAT MANY OF THEM WERE HOPING, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A PRETTY STEEP FINE, THEY WERE HOPING TO AVOID JAIL TIME AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT WILL HAPPEN, AT LEAST AT THIS POINT. >> GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVING THE OTHERS, DO WE KNOW THIS SUSPENDED SENTENCE COULD BE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE OTHER AMERICANS CHARGED? >> Reporter: A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL WONDER THAT AND THAT MAY BE BECAUSE THIS WILL SET UP SOME SORT OF PRECEDENT FOR THE OTHERS THAT, INDEED, THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE. THERE BEEN A LOT OF TALKING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND TURKS AND CAICOS AND THEY SAID WE HAVE TO LET OUR LEGAL PROCESS PLAY OUT AND THE JUDGE DOES HAVE DISCRETION. THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE. >> YOU CAN IMAGINE THE OTHER AMERICANS MAY BE BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS FIRST CASE. HE MENTIONED TURKS AND CAICOS OFFICIALS STATING LET'S LET OUR OWN JUDICIAL SYSTEM PLAY OUT. WE KNOW AN AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VISITED TURKS AND CAICOS THIS WEEK. HOW WERE THEY RECEIVED? DO YOU THINK IT HELPED OR HURT THE SITUATION? >> WE CAME AWAY FROM THAT WITH TWO DIFFERENT STORIES. THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WHEN THEY ARRIVED BACK IN THE UNITED STATES SAID THEY FELT LIKE THEY MADE SOME HEADWAY WITH THE OFFICIALS THERE ON THE ISLAND, THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE SEEKING TO GET A 12 YEAR SENTENCE FOR WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY AN ACCIDENT, ACCORDING TO THESE TOURISTS. THE ISLAND OFFICIALS SAID, LOOK, WE ARE GOING TO LET THINGS PLAY OUT. THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT THAT WAS LAID OUT BY THESE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS THAT CAME TO VISIT HERE. WITH THE TWO STORIES THERE. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, BECAUSE TURKS AND CAICOS DEPENDS SO MUCH ON TOURISM, YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT MAY HAVE FACTORED INTO THE DECISION BECAUSE THERE WAS ALREADY ONE CALL FROM A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE HOUSE TO ISSUE, TO FORCE

Channel: CBS News

Views: 11,514

Keywords: Turks and caicos, ammunition, charges, gun, minimum sentence, judge, 12 years, Turks and Caicos, Gun, Judge, CBS News, Crime, U.S., World

Id: D9xxQ0NEECQ

Length: 3min 27sec (207 seconds)

Published: Fri May 24 2024