A family of Christian missionaries from Indiana who moved to the Caribbean island of Dominica to escape COVID vaccine mandates is finding the dream destination to be less than ideal.
Jason and Jennifer Grogg moved with their four kids to Dominica in 2021, but were arrested alongside two of their teen daughters this spring after police found a handgun and ammunition, which they say was accidentally packed in a shipping container with their other belongings from the US.
The father, 44, pleaded guilty in the case, in a deal that saw charges dropped against his wife and daughters, but now faces new charges, with his family out of funds to return to the US, the Indianapolis Star reported on Friday.
'We left the United States for a very particular reason when it came to the COVID nonsense,' Jason told the outlet. 'But we also saw very clearly this is the path that God was wanting us to take for purposes unknown.'
The family also left America because of their displeasure with the expansion of LGBTQ rights, according to self-published newsletters of their travels reviewed by the Star.
Jason and Jennifer Grogg moved with their four kids to Dominica in 2021, but were arrested alongside two of their teen daughters this spring after police found a handgun and ammo
The father, 44, pleaded guilty in the case, in a deal that saw charges dropped against his wife and daughters, but now faces new charges
Speaking out in the new interview and in statements on social media, the Grogg family say they have been unfairly targeted and harassed by the Dominica 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 per capita GDP of $9,356, according to IMF data.
The Groggs say they felt called by God to leave the US and move to Dominica, where they hoped to perform missionary services to local residents while enjoying fewer pandemic restrictions.
Their troubles began in April, when after a police encounter, cops searched their belongings, including the shipping container from the US, which was being stored behind their church.
Police said they found a 9mm Glock 19 pistol, multiple magazines, and assorted ammunition.
Jason told the Star that he had packed the gun accidentally, and intended to secure a permit to legally possess it.
He said the handgun was initially found in a tote in an unsecured room inside of the church building, where he was sorting out items from the shipping container with permission from the group.
Jason and his wife were both arrested, along with daughters Hannah, 18, and Gracia, 16.
The Groggs say the handgun was accidentally packed in a 40-foot shipping container with their other belongings from the US
Police said they found found a Glock 9 mm pistol, 9 mm and 20 mm ammunition, four M16 magazines with 30 rounds of ammunition, and 17 20-gage shells
In a recent Christmas message posted to YouTube, Jason said: 'What looks like an out of control mess is well within God's order.'
The Grogg family is seen in a Christmas message they posted on YouTube
'My wife and my two daughters were essentially in a cell that was 4 feet by less than 10 feet for seven days. It was just it was incredibly inhumane,' Jason told the Star.
In a deal to free his wife and daughters, Jason pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm charge, and paid a fine of $25,000 East Caribbean dollars, or about $9,250 US dollars.
Soon after he was freed, Jason was arrested again at the airport, as he tried to visit the US consulate in Barbados.
He was jailed for about another week on new customs charges, alleging the family evaded paying import duties on items they brought to the country.
He is due in court on the customs charge in Feburary.
'They're just kicking it months and months down the road and it makes it exponentially more expensive for me,' he said.
The US State Department said it was aware of the arrests of US citizens in Dominica, but declined to comment further, citing privacy concerns.
In a recent Christmas message posted to YouTube, Jason said: 'With all that's transpired this year this year, and it's been a lot, it's good to remind ourselves that because of Christ's birth, the trajectory of human history has changed, changed dramatically.'
He added: 'What looks like an out of control mess is well within God's order.'
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