A Marine sniper has been charged with two counts of voluntary manslaughter in the shootings deaths of two civilians in Iraq, his attorney said Friday.
Sgt. John Winnick II also has been charged with aggravated assault against two other civilians and failing to adhere to military rules of engagement.
Winnick's attorney, Gary Myers, said an Article 32 hearing will be held to determine if there is sufficient evidence to court-martial the Marine.
The charges allege Winnick killed the civilians on June 17, 2007, during combat operations near Lake Tharthar in Iraq's western Anbar province.
The charges also allege he fired at two others without first identifying whether any of the civilians posed a threat, Myers said.
The Marine Corps Central Command would not comment on the case, referring all inquiries to the 1st Marine Division.
Winnick is a member of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Pendleton, said Marine spokesman Mike Alvarez. He was working with the base's 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit when the incident occurred near the lake, once Saddam Hussein's favorite fishing spot.
The military believed the fairly isolated area was being used for training and recuperation by insurgents.
The charges carry a maximum 40-year sentence and a dishonorable discharge.
The case against Winnick comes on the heels of other cases in which Camp Pendleton Marines were charged with wrongdoing in Iraq, including the shooting deaths of 24 Iraqis in Haditha and the fatal shooting of a civilian in Hamdania.
Four enlisted Marines initially were charged with murder in the killings of the 24 Iraqi men, women and children in Haditha and four officers were charged with failing to investigate the deaths. Charges were dropped against five of the Marines and a sixth was acquitted. Two cases are pending.
In the Hamdania case, seven enlisted Marines and a Navy corpsman were initially charged with murder and kidnapping. Four Marines and the sailor cut deals on lesser charges in exchange for their testimony and received sentences ranging from one to eight years in prison. Most were released early. Two other Marines were acquitted of murder but convicted of lesser charges and freed after their courts-martial.
Only the squad leader, Lawrence G. Hutchins III, was convicted of murder. He was sentenced to 15 years in the brig. That was later reduced to 11 years. He was given a dishonorable discharge and reduced in rank from sergeant to private.
