Erik Anthony Audé[1] (born April 5, 1980) is an American actor, stuntman, restaurateur, and professional poker player who was arrested and imprisoned in Pakistan for alleged drug trafficking. Audé maintains that he was duped into carrying opium and believed he was importing leather goods.

Erik Audé
Born
Erik Anthony Audé

(1980-04-05) April 5, 1980 (age 44)
Occupation(s)Actor, stuntman, poker player
Known forImprisonment in Pakistan for drug trafficking

Audé's experiences were adapted into a 2013 episode of the National Geographic television series Locked Up Abroad, and also into the 2018 documentary film 3 Years in Pakistan: The Erik Audé Story. He appears as himself in both works.

History

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Audé was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Bethel Christian School in Lancaster, California, and played American football there.[2][3]

In 2002, Audé was persuaded to carry leather samples from Islamabad, Pakistan, to the United States by Razmik Minasian (who used the alias Rai Gharizian), an Armenian client at the gymnasium where Audé was employed. Minasian concealed from Audé the fact that the case containing leather skirts and jackets also contained opium.[4] On February 15, 2002, Audé was arrested at Islamabad International Airport after being found, according to Pakistani authorities, with 3.6 kilograms[5] (7.9 pounds[6]) of opium in the process of embarking on his scheduled flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[7]

Pakistan is not a party to the United States' Prison Transfer Treaty program. The actor, convicted in January 2003,[5] began serving a sentence of seven years at the Adiala Central Jail in nearby Rawalpindi. At the time, a number of articles in the press speculated on the odds of his surviving the full term of his seven-year sentence.[7]

Audé's 2004 release followed an appeal by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson just before Christmas, and followed Minasian's written confession that Audé was innocent of knowing he was being used to smuggle opium.[8] A number of websites were set up to help promote his cause, and to document the struggle to free him. The actor arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on December 26, 2004, after entering the United States at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. As of 2009 Audé lives in the San Fernando Valley.[9]

Filmography

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Year(s) Work Role Notes
1997 The Bold and the Beautiful Travis Bayer TV series
1997 Hiller and Diller Barry TV series
1998 One World Rick TV series
1998 Sorrow's Child Cop Short
1998 Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal 'Cannibal' Hannibal TV series
1999 Inferno Soldier Film
1998–1999 Cousin Skeeter Duke TV series
1999 City Guys Signing Guy TV series
2000 Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane Norb Schaffer TV series
2000 Providence Jason TV series
2000 Bounce Prom Boy Film
2000 7th Heaven Boy Friend TV series
2000 Dude, Where's My Car? Musclehead Film
2001 The Andy Dick Show Intense Guy TV series
2001 Three Sisters Party Guest TV series
2001 Popular Frat Guy TV series
2001 10 Attitudes Travis Film
2001 So Little Time TV series
2001 That's Life Pete TV series
2001 The Nightmare Room Frank TV series
2001 Reba Football Player TV series
2001 Thieves Hank TV series
2002 Van Wilder Martial Arts Freshman Film
2003 That's So Raven Student #1 TV series
2004 Blind Passion Vinnie Film
2005 Cold Case Frat Guy TV series
2005 The Rites of Nico Wayne Short
2006 The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold Pool Waiter Video
2006 Miles from Home Landlord Film
2006 Courting Alex Mark TV series
2006 So Notorious Bad Date #1 TV series
2006 Just for Kicks Lance TV series
2006 Poseidon Bouncer Film
2006 Beyond the Break Scott Worthington TV series
2006 Just Legal Boyfriend TV series
2006 CSI: NY Jewelry Store Manager TV series
2006 Flags of Our Fathers Officer Film
2006 Shark Seth Taylor TV series
2006 Numbers Steroid Highschool Kid TV series
2007 Cory in the House Sebastian TV series
2007 The Third Nail Marine Lieutenant Film
2009 Fatal Secrets Mike Film
2010 Q for Death Officer Clayton Banks Video
2010 Baby Dream Dad Short
2010 A Mother's Choice Dr. Desmond Short
2011 The Event Mark TV series
2011 The Young and the Restless Passport Forger TV series
2011 Rizzoli & Isles Devon Bosko TV series
2011 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Ryan Dempsey TV series
2011 Cowboys & Indians Gentleman James Carter Film
2011 Heroine Legends: Agent Files Jones TV series
2012 The ABCs of Death Beat Down Dude Film
2012 A Mother's Choice: The Ultimatum Dr. Desmond Short
2012 NCIS: Los Angeles Burly Surfer TV series
2012 Parenthood Construction Worker #2 TV series
2012 Betrayal Collin Short
2012 Jew Bufford Short
2013 Shadow on the Mesa Thor Welsh TV movie
2013 The Devil's Dozen Film
2012–2013 Partners Bartender TV series
2013 My Haunted House Ghost Husband TV series
2013 Nothing Left But Tears Wrath Short
2013 Mike India Alpha Jeremy Mitchell Short
2013 Ad Lucem Biker Video short
2013 Unidentified Film
2013 To My Future Assistant Hank TV movie
2013 Three and a Half Songs Luke Short
2013 The Pain Killers Roman Film
2013 Halfway to Hell Roach Film
2014 HorrorCon Dane Harding Film
2014 Legends Security Captain TV series
2014 Looking for Lions Jamal Film
2014 Sons of Anarchy White Guard TV series
2014 American Sniper Thompson Film
2014 The Eric Andre Show Nascar Driver TV series
2015 Gnome Alone Officer Kelly Film
2015 Evil Within Robert Film
2015 Bout to be a Riot Darren Wilson Video short
2015 Shameless Drug Cop TV series
2015 NCIS Man in Blue Suit TV series
2015 Field of Lost Shoes Hawker Film
2015 All That Matters Neil TV series
2015 Rendezvous with Victory Terrorist VO TV series short
2015 Tornado Alley Dale TV series
2015 Seat of Justice Officer Clayton Banks Film
2015 A Killer of Men Cutler Short
2015 The Last Ship Avocet Worker 2 TV series
2015 Checkmate Officer Williams Film
2015 Hand of God Cop #1 TV series
2015 Being Charlie Staffer #1 Film
2010–2015 Days of Our Lives Lamar/Thug/Dealer TV series
2015 Luke Bouncer 1 TV movie
2015 Luke Bouncer 1 TV series

References

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  1. ^ "The End". Crime Library. August 18, 2007. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  2. ^ ""PM Actor Sentenced to 7 Years". Daily News of Los Angeles. January 8, 2003. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  3. ^ "Witness to the Execution". Crime Library. August 18, 2007. Archived from the original on August 18, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2012. The voices reminded him of the crowds back in Lancaster, California, the Poppy Capital of California, when he was playing football for Bethel Christian Academy.
  4. ^ Murr, Andrew; Moreau, Ron (March 2002). "I'm Guilty of Being Gullible". Newsweek. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Pakistan Releases Jailed US Actor". BBC. December 24, 2004. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
  6. ^ "Annals of Globalization — India Has Its Own Spider-Man, Tailored to Local Tastes". North County Times. December 26, 2004. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
  7. ^ a b Smith, L. Christopher (August 2007). "Among the Terrorists". Men's Journal. pp. 104–205.
  8. ^ Spaeth, Sho (January 3, 2005). "Milestones". Time. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
  9. ^ Smith, L. Christopher, "Among the Terrorists", Men's Journal, August 2007, Page 107

Further reading

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