Accused of the Pentagon leaks
US National Guardsman accused of additional charges
6/16/2023 3:21 am
He is 21 years old and apparently wanted to boast about his access to secret documents on the Internet: Now Jack Teixeira looks forward to decades behind bars. Six other charges against the Luftwaffe member could significantly increase the impending prison sentence.
National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, allegedly responsible for the leak of numerous secret documents of the US Department of Defense, has been charged with six additional counts. A jury in Boston on Thursday accused him of “willful withholding and disclosure of classified information related to national defense.” Each charge carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison.
After his arrest in April, Teixeira had already been charged on two counts. The 21-year-old is accused of being responsible for one of the most momentous releases of secret US documents in recent years. He is said to have shared the photographed secret documents in a group he led on the online platform Discord, and later some of the documents were also said to have been visible in other online services such as Twitter and Telegram.
Teixeira remains in custody
Many of the documents related to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Other documents suggested the US was spying on allies like Israel and South Korea. Last month, a federal judge ordered Teixeira to remain in custody pending his trial because he remains a threat to national security.
The investigators had argued that Teixeira could still have access to secret documents and that “enemy” states could also help him escape if he was provisionally released. He has also made “violent” statements in the past. Teixeira worked for the Air National Guard as an IT and communications specialist at the third lowest military rank for airmen. In 2021 he received clearance for access to highly classified documents.