A family of Christian missionaries from Indiana who moved to the Caribbean island of Dominica to avoid COVID vaccination requirements are finding the dream destination less than ideal.
Jason and Jennifer Grogg moved to Dominica in 2021 with their four children, but were arrested in the spring along with two of their teenage daughters after police found a handgun and ammunition that were allegedly accidentally left in a shipping container along with their other belongings from the United States had been packed.
The 44-year-old father pleaded guilty in the case as part of a deal that dropped charges against his wife and daughters, but now faces new charges because his family lacks the means to return to the United States, the Indianapolis Star reported Friday.
“We left the United States for a very specific reason when it came to the COVID nonsense,” Jason told the outlet. “But we also saw very clearly that this was the path God wanted us to take for reasons unknown.”
The family also left America because they were dissatisfied with expanding LGBTQ rights, according to self-published newsletters about their travels reviewed by the Star.
Jason and Jennifer Grogg moved to Dominica with their four children in 2021, but were arrested in the spring along with two of their teenage daughters after police found a handgun and ammunition
The 44-year-old father pleaded guilty in the case in a deal that saw charges against his wife and daughters dropped, but now faces new charges
In the new interview and in statements on social media, the Grogg family says they have been unfairly targeted and harassed by the Dominican government.
Dominica, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, is a small island nation in the Caribbean with a population of about 74,000 and a nominal GDP per capita of $9,356, according to IMF data.
The Groggs said they felt called by God to leave the United States and move to Dominica, where they hoped to provide missionary services to local residents while enjoying fewer pandemic restrictions.
Their problems began in April when officers searched their belongings, including the shipping container from the United States stored behind their church, following a confrontation with police.
Police said they found a 9mm Glock 19 pistol, several magazines and various ammunition.
Jason told the Star that he accidentally packed the gun and intended to get a permit to legally own the weapon.
He said the handgun was originally found in a carrying case in an unsecured room in the church building where he was sorting out items from the shipping container with the group's permission.
Jason and his wife were arrested along with their daughters Hannah, 18, and Gracia, 16.
The Groggs say the gun was accidentally packed into a 40-foot shipping container with their other belongings from the United States
Police said they found a 9mm Glock pistol, 9mm and 20mm ammunition, four M16 magazines with 30 rounds of ammunition and 17 20-caliber grenades
In a recent Christmas message posted on YouTube, Jason said, “What seems like an out-of-control mess is very much in God's order.”
The Grogg family can be seen in a Christmas message they posted on YouTube
“My wife and two daughters were essentially in a cell that was 4 feet by less than 10 feet for seven days. “It was just incredibly inhumane,” Jason told the Star.
As part of a deal to release his wife and daughters, Jason pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and paid a $25,000 fine in the Eastern Caribbean, or about $9,250.
Shortly after his release, Jason was arrested again at the airport while attempting to visit the US Consulate in Barbados.
He was jailed for about another week on new customs charges, alleging the family had evaded paying import duties on items they brought into the country.
He is due in court in February on the customs charges.
“They just drag it out for months and months and it makes it exponentially more expensive for me,” he said.
The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the arrests of U.S. citizens in Dominica but declined further comment, citing privacy concerns.
In a recent Christmas message posted on YouTube, Jason said: “After everything that has happened this year, and there has been a lot, it is good to remember that the course of human history changed with the birth of Christ, namely dramatic.”'
He added: “What looks like an out-of-control mess is very much in God’s order.”