By Sarah Roebuck
EMS1
POWHATAN, Va. — A high-ranking official at an EMS agency based out of Virginia was arrested in Turks and Caicos, and now the president of the company is hoping the situation is resolved with fairness and justice.
Tyler Scott Wenrich, 31, was going through a security checkpoint after traveling to Grand Turk on a cruise ship when it was discovered he had ammo, Loop Caribbean News reports. He was charged with possession of ammunition on April 23.
Wenrich remains in custody at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending a June 7 sufficiency hearing, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force stated.
Wenrich is the vice president of operations at Emergency Services Solutions Inc., an EMS agency that staffs rural 911 jurisdictions ambulances since 2001, according to the company’s CEO and President, Blanton Marchese. ESS staffs more than 150 EMTs and paramedics, and Wenrich is responsible for the daily operations.
Marchese is hoping to bring attention to Wenrich’s case.
“What I’ve learned over the past 30 years in public safety is that in every challenge, there lies an opportunity for grace and resilience. Given Tyler’s consistent demonstration of both qualities, I hope that his situation will be resolved with fairness and justice,” Marchese told EMS1.
Wenrich wasn’t the only American tourist arrested within a matter of days. Ryan Watson, from Oklahoma, was also charged with ammunition possession. On April 11, Watson and his wife, Valerie Watson, were detained at Howard Hamilton International Airport after security personnel reportedly discovered four rounds of hunting ammunition in Watson’s carry-on bag, CBS News reports. Watson is facing 12 years in prison.