The U.S. military granted Navy commander Charles E. Coughlin a Purple Heart and the government awarded him $331,000 for neck and other injuries he claimed to have suffered when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Now government lawyers have concluded that Coughlin lied about his injuries—and they are seeking to seize his $1 million house in Severna Park, his Mercedes-Benz, and his minivan. The U.S. attorney’s office has filed a civil suit alleging that the now-retired commander falsely claimed he suffered “a partial permanent disability” after falling debris struck him on the head at the Pentagon, where 184 people were killed.

• “Is it wise public policy to continue its civil action to seize Coughlin’s house and car, even though he’s serving his time in prison for his fraud?” To answer the question, consider the sections on “Crimes and Noncriminal Legal Wrongs,” and “Criminal Punishment in U.S. Society” in Chapter 1.