Steven Anthony Stefanowicz was involved, as a private contractor for CACI International, in the interrogations at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
[5] According to the New York Times,[6] "In mid-August, a team of civilian interrogators led by Steven Stephanowicz, a former Navy petty officer and an employee of a Virginia company called CACI International, began work at Abu Ghraib under a classified one-year military contract.
In the report by Major General Antonio M. Taguba regarding the alleged acts of brutality, abuse, and torture at the Enemy Prisoner of War facility at Abu Ghraib and other Enemy Prisoner of War Camps in Iraq and Afghanistan, Taguba said, "'Specifically I suspect that Col. Thomas M. Pappas, Lt. Col. Steve L. Jordan, Mr. Steven Stephanowicz and Mr. John Israel were either directly or indirectly responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib and strongly recommend immediate disciplinary actions ..." [3] In an interview with a military investigator, Col. Thomas Poppas described Stefanowicz as "out of control" in his commission of abuses.
"[3] However, the online diary of another CACI interrogator at Abu Ghraib, Joe Ryan, reveals that a "Steve Stefanowicz" was still working at the prison on April 26, 2004, suggesting that Taguba's conclusions were ignored until the prison abuse scandal broke in the media.
[5] It is also alleged that Stefanowicz ordered a prisoner apparently suffering from appendicitis not be given his prescribed pain medication.
[3] Army Chief Warrant Officer John D. Graham – an interrogation operations officer at Abu Ghraib – supports Stefanowicz and says Stefanowicz expressed concern of the treatment of prisoners and took the issue of mistreatment to superiors.
Standard criminal prosecution may not be possible due to legalities surrounding private military contractors in Iraq, including the fact that the CACI contract was with the Department of the Interior.