Two former Blackwater security guards were convicted Friday of involuntary manslaughter for a deadly shooting in Afghanistan but were acquitted of more serious charges, US officials said. Christopher Drotleff, 29, and Justin Cannon, 27, face a maximum of eight years in prison after a jury in federal court found them guilty of involuntary manslaughter but acquitted them of other charges, including second-degree murder.
The first trial against Drotleff and Cannon - who were employed by Paravant, an affiliate of Xe, formerly Blackwater - ended in a hung jury and mistrial in September 2010.