Former Gitmo Photog Detained on Fraud Charges, Faces Deportation

Former Gitmo Photog Detained on Fraud Charges, Faces Deportation

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Military combat photographer Elisha Leo Dawkins, who has toured Iraq and documented daily life at Guantanamo Bay, is part of a complicated set of legal proceedings culminating last week in felony fraud charges, detention and a scramble by his friends to post a $100,000 bail.

Elisha Leo Dawkins on tour in Iraq. Photo: U.S. Army
Petty Officer 2nd Class Dawkins, 26, was initially charged with submitting false information on a 2006 passport application. On that application, Dawkins allegedly indicated that he had not previously applied for a passport, when in fact he had abandoned a similar ap

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After reading the article in its entirety, and realizing this man's accomplishments: award winning photographer, tours in Iraq, having his work displayed by the US Government itself... What exactly did he do to warrant this type of overkill on charges?

How exactly is an abandoned (as in, never completed the process for) equivalent to previously applied? These mean two different things to me. The mistake about where he was born is an honest one - if you believe your entire life you were born in the US, it would make sense that you would put that down on any relevant paperwork.

The charges seem excessive. I am wondering if there is more to this story to cause it. Perhaps something he saw, etc. Anyway, those are my thoughts.

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I honestly thought it was a typo at first when it said "his friends".

It's a head scratcher but I don't think I'd even want to guess at what happened. Could he have seen something? Did he make a mistake on his passport application? Did he intentionally try to defraud in his application?

All three are very plausible theories.

I suspect this is another example of the media trying to highlight the "noble" illegal immigrant to the American news consumer. His disproportionately harsh treatment will curry favor among the voting population who will view it as a miscarriage of justice against someone who served this country....

Bear in mind that any other person who makes a mistake on their passport application usually has to 'redo' it..... he, on the other hand has been arrested and every possible media outlet is covering it - closely.

As the political theater ramps up, there will be more of these reports.... They are putting the pieces in place on the board... i wonder who will make the first move... pro or anti "whatever?"