Tourist Fined After 9mm Ammo Found In Golf Bag When Departing Airport
Alric Lindsay 
By Alric Lindsay
An American visitor who claimed he accidentally left a 9mm magazine in his golf bag was spared a prison sentence in the Summary Court today, October 15, 2026, but was ordered to pay a financial penalty before being allowed to leave the island.
Chet Boyd Doheny appeared before Magistrate McFarlane facing a single charge of possession of unlicensed ammunition. The court heard that Doheny had arrived in the Cayman Islands on October 7 for a planned vacation. However, when he was departing the Owen Roberts International Airport on October 12, 2026, officers screening his luggage detected a magazine containing 10 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition concealed inside his golf bag.
Doheny was arrested and cautioned by officers. A subsequent ballistic test verified that the ammunition was live and fully functional.
In her mitigation address, defence counsel Katie Williams emphasized that the incident was an honest, genuine error with absolutely no criminal intent. The court heard further that Doheny, a licensed firearms holder in multiple US states who routinely carries a 9mm weapon, had simply forgotten the magazine was inside the golf bag.
Defence counsel painted a picture of a defendant who operates an expansive rehabilitation business in the United States, managing a state-awarded contract that employs hundreds of people and services more than 100 vulnerable individuals. She argued that a recorded conviction would automatically trigger the cancellation of his company contracts, putting people out of work and cutting off vital services to those in need.
While acknowledging the offence carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, Magistrate McFarlane accepted that Doheny had made a genuine mistake. Noting that culpability and harm were low because the tourist was exiting the country and possessed no accompanying firearm, the Magistrate McFarlane granted a 12-month conditional discharge, meaning no criminal conviction will be recorded against Doheny if no further offences are committed in the Cayman Islands during that period.
The leniency, however, came at a steep financial cost. Doheny was fined $300 per round for the 10 bullets, totaling KYD 3,000. After receiving a one-third discount for mitigating factors, he was ordered to pay a final sum of KYD 2,000. The court ordered that his passport be withheld until the fine is paid in full.
