POW Hunter Surrenders on Charge of Passport Violation

Retired Army Green Beret Col. James G. (Bo) Gritz, who has staged several expeditions to Southeast Asia in search of missing American servicemen, turned himself in to federal authorities Wednesday on a charge of violating passport laws.

Gritz was freed on a personal recognizance bond after an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Elliott Sattler. He will be arraigned on Friday.

Gritz, 48, was indicted May 20 after a six-month investigation by the State Department. He reportedly was in Thailand when the indictment was returned.

The indictment charged Gritz with using a passport in the name of Patrick Richard Clark in Vancouver, Canada, on Dec. 17. Officials said Gritz was returning to the United States via Vancouver from one of his forays into Southeast Asia.

“I’d like to say to my friends and neighbors that everything done has been for the right reasons,” said Gritz, who said he had proper authorization for his travels.

Gritz’s attorney, Lamond Mills, also hinted that Gritz may have been involved in a mission for the government at the time he used the passport.

“At worst we have a colonel in the Special Forces who has been engaged in the last eight years in attempting to free POWs from Southeast Asia,” Mills said. “At best we have a man acting under the auspices of the U.S. government.”

Gritz, whose last known home was in Sandy Valley, about 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas, claims to have retrieved possessions of missing soldiers in his missions, although he has failed to rescue any POWs.

Gritz faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison if convicted on the charge.