I totally agree that individuals should be targeted, even lower-down people in my opinion. I think it actually protects those people with less authority... when you disobey orders from above in service of executing your duties responsibly it's a meaningful defense to say "people have gone to jail for doing what you are asking me to do."

But I also see why it can't happen. If anyone gets charged they have a lot of rights about what information to bring to their defense. Any single individual can pull in the entirety of Boeing. Because Boeing is strategically important to the country (along several axes) that can't happen. (Just in a realpolitik sense.)

I do wish at least that notable people in leadership were fired with cause. It's inadequate, but at least it's something.