SANDSTON, Va. -- A moment 40 days in the making.
The Louisa father and EMT charged with the possession of ammunition in Turks and Caicos finally arrived home in Central Virginia.
At 9:15 Thursday evening, 31-year-old Tyler Wenrich walked through the security doors at Richmond International Airport alongside his father and wife, Jeriann.
He was greeted with tears and cheers from friends and family.
Wenrich became especially emotional when he was finally able to hold his 18-month-old son who he had not seen in over 40 days.
“I’m just excited to be able to hold him and I know he is nervous," Wenrich said. "I’m just happy to be back honestly. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I am thankful for friends and family and representatives trying to get us back."
Wenrich described reuniting with his family and friends as euphoric.
Wenrich’s friends, including the friends who were on the bachelor's trip when the incident happened, were at the airport to welcome him home.
Virginia Congressman Bob Good was also present at the reunion. He prayed with Wenrich and handed him an American flag on his arrival.
According to officials, Wenrich could have faced 12 years in prison after two stray bullets were found in his backpack when he was trying to reboard a cruise ship in Turks and Caicos to return home.
Earlier this week a judge issued a lesser sentence when he pled guilty. The judge instead sentenced him to pay a $9,000 fine and stay three weeks in jail, which was converted to time served.
It comes after a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Congressman Bob Good, traveled in recent weeks to the island to put pressure on island leaders to show leniency for the handful of Americans being held due to small amounts of ammunition found in luggage.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner had also been advocating to the State Department for Wenrich’s release.
He issued a statement after his sentencing.
“I’m glad that Tyler Wenrich isn’t going to receive a lengthy prison sentence and will be able to soon return home to Virginia to be with his family. It’s clear he never intended to violate the laws of Turks and Caicos. When Tyler’s family reached out to my office about Tyler’s detention, my office contacted the State Department to highlight his case, and I advocated for leniency while his case was being reviewed."
Wenrich said he would waste no time and plans to get back to work on Monday.
He said he does not have any plans to return to Turks and Caicos in the future.
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