Two American men facing 12 years in Turks and Caicos Prison after accidentally taking ammunition in their luggage have shared their fears about the prospect of a prison sentence.
Ryan Watson, 40, and Bryan Hagerich, 39, both fathers of two young children, have spent months in the Caribbean islands after their arrests, awaiting their fate as their cases wind through the legal system.
Speak with NewsNation of the Airbnb both share, Bryan said he is “absolutely terrified” by the prospect of jail time, warning others: “It could happen to you.” For those who think it can't be done, it certainly can be done.'
It comes as their dire ordeal has sparked outrage in America, with several airports and schools in Turks and Caicos receiving bomb threats demanding they be released.
In response, Bryan and Ryan told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that they “condemned” the threats, saying: “We had nothing to do with it and hope the authorities bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Bryan Hagerich (left) and Ryan Watson (right) both face 12 years in Turks and Caicos Prison after loose bullets were found in their luggage
Bryan, a former baseball pro, said he is “absolutely terrified” of the prospect of jail time, warning others: “It could happen to you.” For those who think it can't be done: it certainly can be done
Ryan Watson (pictured with his wife Valerie and their two young children) said he and Bryan have been kept in the dark about their fate, and that despite months on the islands there are 'still a lot of unknowns'
In a conversation with Chris Cuomo, the fathers were asked how they would respond to those who believe they deserve jail time for violating local laws.
“We're all human, we all make mistakes,” Bryan said.
Both men had been on holiday in the islands with their families before their arrest and were caught by airport staff on their departing flights and immediately arrested.
Ryan said he is still confused about how the ammunition ended up in his luggage, something he had never done before despite hunting “all his life.”
“From the bottom of my heart, I don't remember ever putting the ammunition in that bag,” he said.
“I remember one time I took that bag on a deer hunt last November… Personally, I don't remember putting the ammunition in the bag.
“(The bag) went through TSA in Oklahoma City,” he said, adding that they initially thought screeners had picked them up for his wife's makeup kit.”
The men fell under a strict Turks and Caicos Islands law introduced in 2022 that increased the penalty for possession of firearms and ammunition to 12 years in prison.
When asked about spending more than a decade behind bars, Bryan said he is “absolutely terrified.”
“Considering that I will be separated from my family for the next twelve years of my life, I will not be able to see my daughter graduate from high school, let alone kindergarten,” he said.
Bryan recently moved into an AirBnB with Ryan Watson (right), who faces the same charges, and the two men showed off their cramped living space as they awaited sentencing in a previous interview.
Former baseball pro Bryan, who now works for a nursing home provider, said he is terrified at the prospect of missing out on his children's childhood
Ryan, pictured with his wife Valerie, said the ordeal is draining them emotionally and financially, while Ryan said it is something they may “never recover from.”
“We have worked hard all our lives to get to this point, to raise our young children, to be parents, and it is my role as the father of the family that I take on the responsibility of providing protection.
“It's just terrifying not to be able to be there.”
The fathers wait in limbo for their fate, with Bryan saying they are left in the dark with “a lot of unknowns” while staying in an Airbnb.
As their ordeal makes headlines, many have reacted with outrage after seeing the 12-year prison sentence they face, with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt saying he is working to secure their release.
In a performance on Tuesday with Morning in AmericaStitt called their accusations “absurd.”
However, the resistance has also led to a number of chilling bomb threats being sent to officials, airports and schools on the islands, demanding their release.
“If these men don't go home by June, we will move into our second phase,” read part of the threat, seen by DailyMail.com.
“This is your final warning.”
As news media in the Turks and Caicos Islands reported on the threats, Bryan and Ryan told DailyMail.com in a statement that they “condemned” the incident in the strongest terms.
“We have nothing to do with them and hope that the authorities will bring the perpetrators to justice,” the statement said.
“Our families use Turks and Caicos airports, we are parents of young children and we take the safety of the TCI Islands and its nationals seriously.”
After their arrest, the fathers were briefly held in the Turks and Caicos Islands prison before their bail
Ryan Watson and his wife Valerie (pictured arriving together on their holiday in the Turks and Caicos Islands) were both arrested on April 11, but her charges were later dropped when she was allowed to return to their children.
Last week, the two men showed off their cramped sleeping arrangements on Good Morning America, with two small single beds next to each other in one room.
Despite their ordeal, Ryan said it was comforting to share the home with someone else going through the same circumstances.
“This is probably the loneliest I've been in my entire life,” he said.
'But to have someone who experiences exactly the same thing as you does, it provides a bit of support.'
In an interview with DailyMail.com the week before his original convictionwhich the judge later postponed for two weeks, Bryan added that despite the support, being away from his family was devastating.
“As a father, it is my responsibility to provide for my family, protect my family and support them in every way imaginable. And for me now, 75 days of not being able to do that, it's just been catastrophic,” he said.
Ashley Hagerich, both fathers of two young children, said she and Bryan's children have been confused and upset about why their father never came home with them.
“The first question I'm asked at the beginning of every day, and the last question I'm asked when I put my kids to bed at night, is, 'When is my dad coming home?'
Bryan has since missed both of his children's birthdays and said he is terrified of the prospect of missing their childhood if he is sentenced to the full 12 years in prison.
“Twelve years is a long time, and all those special things that you look forward to as a parent, knowing you might not be able to be there for them, that's what keeps me up at night,” he said.