What he did then: Captain, U.S. Army and commander, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment

What he does now: Private citizen

Reported Involvement: On May 21, 2004, Maynulet and his men spotted a black sedan thought to contain rebel Iraqi cleric Muqtada Sadr, who was wanted by the U.S. military for his involvement with the ongoing insurgency and with the killing of a rival cleric. Maynulet's men gave chase and engaged in a running gun fight through the streets of Najaf and Kufa. Eventually, Maynulet and his soldiers stopped the sedan with their gunfire, seriously wounding the occupants. Upon reaching the scene, Maynulet found the vehicle's driver, Karim Hassan Abed Ali al-Haleji, mortally wounded with serious head injuries. Maynulet shot and killed him at close range in what has been described as a mercy killing. The act was captured on video by an unmanned aerial vehicle circling overhead.

Punishment: The Army prosecuted Maynulet for assault with intent to commit murder and dereliction of duty, but he was convicted by a general court-martial of the lesser-included offense of assault with intent to commit voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to dismissal from the Army without prison time.

Photograph of Roger Maynulet by Mandi Wright/KRT.