Galveston native Edward Tallon says he is just happy to be back home after spending the last 3 years imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.
Tallon's ordeal began when he was arrested in May of 2004, charged with Unorthodox Behavior - which carries a possible life sentence. During the months he was waiting for trial, Tallon never lost faith that he would be found innocent. In the end, that didn't happen. Instead, the military tribunal dismissed the charge based on "lack of evidence". Tallon was allowed to return home on August 11th.
Prosecutors alleged that Tallon had told another man that "the Bushes must be eliminated." Tallon's court-appointed lawyer says the conversation was taken out of context. He claimed Tallon was discussing yard work with his gardener, and that "the bushes" referred to some plants which were encroaching on a patio area at Tallon's Galveston home.
Agents of the Federal Unit to Combat Terrorism (FUCT) arrested Tallon in a military-style raid on his home in Galveston. A search of the home uncovered duct tape, two cell phones, several batteries, and $233 in cash. Authorities believe the suspicious items were part of an Al Qaeda cell that planned to sabotage local sewer treatment facilities. FUCT agents say they interrupted the scheme in the planning stages.
The gardener, Felipe Gomez Jr. - who is still being held on related charges - testified on Tallon's behalf. Gomez claims he did yard work for Tallon for several years, and that neither man was ever involved in terrorist activity.