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Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Bufford, a Boatswain's Mate with U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) 91104, mans a 50-caliber machine gun while on patrol in Guantanamo Bay, Oct.4, 2010.

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 $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 application in 2003. Lying on federal paperwork is classified as a felony and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

During associated investigations, it was discovered that Dawkins’ is also an undocumented immigrant with an outstanding deportation order dating back to 1993 when he was just 8 years old. An order and legal status of which he claims to be unaware.

Originally from the Bahamas but estranged from his parents, Dawkins grew up living with relatives in Florida. Presumably believing he was born in the United States, Dawkins obtained a retroactive Florida Birth Certificate on March 30, 2006 stating he was born on Oct. 21, 1984 in Miami-Dade County.

The birth certificate allowed Dawkins to acquire a passport to travel in 2007 to Iraq and serve as a combat cameraman for which he was awarded six medals and ribbons of distinction, including the National Defense Service medal, the Armed Forces Reserves medal and the Overseas Service ribbon.

Dawkins was honorably discharged and returned to Florida to complete a nursing degree. He later joined the Naval Reserves and was stationed, in 2010, at Guantanamo Bay for eight months as part of the public relations unit. There he shot the photos displayed in the gallery above and others available at the Joint Task Force official website. The U.S. Army website also has 64 photographs taken in Iraq by Dawkins archived on its website.

Dawkins is currently being detained at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami until he can post the $100,000 bail. The photographer’s friends have started a Facebook page to solicit donations for a bail bond and raise awareness of the story.

If Dawkins successfully defends the fraud charges he may still have to face deportation proceedings on his own.

All photos by Mass Communications Specialist Petty Officer 2nd Class Elisha Leo Dawkins/Joint Task Force/Navy