[Blindvet-talk] Fwd: Military Vet Held in Jail for Two Months

Wed Jun 29 00:00:52 UTC 2011

____________________________________
 From: bill at billnelson.senate.gov
To: misteradvocate at aol.com
Sent:  6/28/2011 7:00:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Military Vet Held in  Jail for Two Months

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June 28,  2011

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Friends,

For your information I’m sending  you a story broadcast yesterday by 
WJXT-TV in  Jacksonville, Florida. In a nutshell, it says a  Florida man who’s an 
Army-Navy veteran faces 10  years in prison on a passport fraud charge. I’ve 
 asked the State Department and other agencies  involved for a full 
explanation.

_Vet Checks Wrong Box, Faces  Charges
Army, Navy Photographer Accused Of  Passport  Fraud_ 
(http://email.capitolhillnewsonline.com/q/8LpTW4MvgyAzvKtOHpkSR941iEq2vv6jJokU4JX1xAhg-j6Gvdl2vdhLM
) 
Monday, June  27, 2011

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.  -- Elisha Dawkins graduated in August  from nursing 
school in Jacksonville.

He  put on hold his plans for taking the board exams  because the Navy 
called him into action as a  photographer.

Dawkins photographed  happenings at Guantanamo Bay, an act that's  evidence 
he's a trusted member of the military  with top secret clearance.

Now, Dawkins,  a Navy reservist and decorated Army combat  photographer who 
served in Iraq, is in jail,  charged with passport fraud. He's facing 10  
years in prison for what could be a simple  misunderstanding. 

"Suddenly, he's picked  up and thrown in jail? Then it's time for this  
senator to start asking questions," U.S. Sen.  Bill Nelson., D-Fla., said. 

Nelson has  questions echoed by Dawkins' friends, including  Dianne 
Rinehardt."It's a travesty, and we're  trying to stop it," Rinehardt said.  

Rinehardt went through nursing school  with Dawkins and is a veteran 
herself. She's  upset about the trouble her friend is in. In  sharing his story 
with other vets, Rinehardt  said that lots of people who don't know Dawkins  
can't believe it. 

"We're all appalled  that, how can you serve this country and be more  
dedicated to the ideals of this country, and  serve this country and then be 
told, 'Guess  what, you made a little clerical error. You're  out of here.' And 
that's a travesty," Rinehardt  said. 

A federal indictment states that  Dawkins started to fill out a passport  
application in 2004, didn't complete it, then  filled out a new application 
two years later.  

On that new application, he checked a  box "no" for the question, "Have you 
ever  applied before?" according to the indictment.  

Dawkins got the passport, but three  months ago, the government issued a 
warrant for  his arrest. He was taking photos for the Navy at  the time. When 
Dawkins got back to the U.S. in  April, he was arrested about a week later 
and  has been in jail for two months since.  

"The state department is implying  there's something more. I want to know, 
and  that's why I've written them," Nelson  said.

"We've sent emails through our  standard home, family email chains 
throughout  the country," Rinehardt said. "The more  attention we bring to this, the 
more people will  see this as a disservice." 

Dawkins'  attorney calls the case an "absurd prosecution,"  saying that 
filling out a "no" box "did not  merit criminal charges." 

Because the  trial is scheduled for next month, if Dawkins is  still in 
jail at that point, he will insist on  going to trial. 

A pretrial hearing  Tuesday in Miami is the next  step.

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