Mom of US tourist, 26, jailed for eight months in Turks and Caicos on ammo ... trends now
A US tourist sentenced to eight months in a Turks and Caicos prison after ammunition was found in his luggage served his time in a squalid prison where he faced death threats from other inmates, his family has revealed.
Michael Allan Grim, 26, from Indiana, was arrested in August 2023 after a 9mm magazine containing 20 round of ammunition was found by airport officials as he prepared to return to the US following a family vacation.
He faced a months-long legal nightmare before he was 'made an example of' by the courts and jailed over the 'honest mistake'. In prison, Michael was held alongside rapists and murderers who were serving life sentences.
Michael, who had left the ammunition in his luggage by mistake, returned to the US in February after serving six months before his early release for good behavior.
His mother, Teresa Pfau, has now told DailyMail.com of the ordeal. She spoke out as several other American men currently await sentencing for the same offense after unintentionally taking ammo to Turks and Caicos.
Michael Allan Grim, 26, served six months in a Turks and Caicos prison after he accidentally took ammunition to the islands during a family vacation
Michael's mom, Teresa Pfau (pictured second from right during the family vacation before the arrest), told DailyMail.com about the hellish ordeal her son and family faced
Michael spent six months in HM Prison. He lived in squalid conditions alongside murderers and rapists and was subject to an extortion attempt by another inmate who made death threats
Teresa, who supported her son throughout the legal process and visited him monthly in jail, said the experience has 'changed our lives' and she is now trying to help the other families in similar positions.
'Michael made a mistake, he was careless, he should have known he was missing [an ammo] clip or it was not where it was supposed to be. He did break the law and he took full accountability for it as soon as he knew,' she said.
The family were on their third vacation to Turks and Caicos, a British overseas territory where firearms offenses carry hefty sentences, and preparing for their return flight on August 1 when Michael was detained at the airport.
Teresa recalled that just hours earlier, the family was reflecting on their vacation and told one another: 'We want to come back here, we love it.'
At the airport, a security announcement called Michael to the customs area for a random bag check. His sister had been subject to the checks during their previous visits and the family thought nothing of it.
Teresa said: 'We really had a joke about it. We said, 'okay, who is going to get called this time?'
'As we were waiting I text Michael because our flight got called and we were getting ready to board. He replied, 'I'm probably not going to make the flight' and I said, 'you're really funny'.'
As the family waited for Michael, they quickly realized that he was serious.
During the bag check, a customs official had found the magazine in his duffel bag. He was initially told to expect a fine and that he'd probably be allowed to catch a return flight the next day, but after police were called to the airport he was arrested.
'That's when we realized this was a nightmare,' said Teresa. 'I was very angry with Michael. Gosh, we always have this discussion [about checking luggage].
'The night before we left, I said remember and he's like mom, of course, I know.'
Michael was initially held at a police station while his family searched for an attorney. His mom and her husband, Michael's stepfather, remained on Turks and Caicos while the rest of his family returned to the US.
Michael is pictured following his release from a six-month jail term in Turks and Caicos
Michael pictured with his mother, Teresa, after his release from prison in Turks and Caicos
Teresa said the
