After a two-year investigation, the probe of former General David H. Petraeus has concluded. Petraeus has reached a plea deal with the Justice Department and will only be charged with “one count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material, a misdemeanor,” according to the New York Times.

The charge is a misdemeanor that calls for one year in prison. However, Petraeus will not serve time. Instead, he will be on probation for two years and have to pay a fine of $40,000.

The retired four-star general was once discussed as a possible vice presidential, even presidential, candidate. His fall from grace has been spectacular.

In 2011, the married Petraeus had an affair with Paula Broadwell, the woman writing his biography. At her request, he gave her eight ‘black books’. These were notebooks filled with handwritten notes from top secret meetings and contained information about war strategy, covert agents, and other sensitive intelligence material.

F.B.I. agents discovered Petraeus’ affair with Broadwell while investigating a separate case of threatening emails being sent anonymously to Jill Kelley, a friend of Petraeus. It turns out the emails had been sent by a jealous Broadwell in an effort to keep Kelley away from Petraeus.

Shortly after the discovery of Petraeus and Broadwell’s affair, the secret of the notebooks came to light. Petraeus lied at first, claiming he never gave any classified information to Broadwell. The federal prosecutors of the case knew he was not telling the truth.

“The statements were false,” said the prosecutors. “Defendant David Howell Petraeus then and there knew that he previously shared the black books with his biographer.”

Petraeus is still highly respected in Washington, as well as throughout the world. It was his brilliant strategy in Iraq that turned the tides against Al Qaeda in 2007. While no longer in the spotlight, Petraeus is currently pursuing a highly lucrative career working with a private equity firm as well as a paid guest speaking and lecturer. He still advises the president.

“The broader nation needs his advice, and I think it’s been evident that people still want to hear from him,” said Michael E. O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution. “People are forgiving and know he made a mistake. But he’s also a national hero and a national resource.”