US National Guard member Jack Teixeira sentenced to 15 years in prison

Nov 12, 2024

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

In a criminal case prosecutors called “one of the most significant and consequential violations of the Espionage Act in American history,” a Boston judge sentenced Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira to 15 years in prison. This comes after he pleaded guilty to leaking top secret military documents about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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The 22-year-old Teixeira issued an apology before the sentencing, and claimed responsibility, telling the judge, “I’m at your mercy,” according to Boston journalist Bob Ward on the platform X.

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Teixeira pleaded guilty in March to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. He admitted to illegally collecting and sharing classified military files with users on the social media platform Discord.

Teixeira’s attorneys argued he wasn’t trying to harm the U.S. but instead attempting to educate his friends about what he saw as “his generation’s World War II or Iraq.” They also described him as an autistic and isolated person spending most of his time online.

Prosecutors contended Teixeira still knew right from wrong, pointing to evidence Teixeira tried to cover up the crime by smashing his tablet, laptop and Xbox in a dumpster at his house.

The security breach exposed U.S. military secrets on Russia’s war in Ukraine, including troop movements and Ukrainian troops’ weapons supplies.

Teixeira worked as a cyber transport systems support specialist and reportedly remains with the U.S. Air National Guard on an unpaid status, according to a U.S. Air Force official.

In the aftermath of Teixeira’s leak, the Pentagon has tightened controls on top secret information. The Biden administration was also left rushing to repair any damage to U.S diplomatic relationships and the military’s image.

Tags: Air National Guard, Counter-espionage, Jack Teixeira, National Guard, Prison, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, The Pentagon

[KARAH RUCKER]

IN A CRIMINAL CASE PROSECUTORS CALLED “ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND CONSEQUENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT IN AMERICAN HISTORY.”

A JUDGE SENTENCED U-S AIR NATIONAL GUARDSMEN JACK TEIXEIRA TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER HE PLEADED GUILTY TO LEAKING TOP SECRET MILITARY DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE WAR IN UKRAINE.

TEIXEIRA PLEADED GUILTY IN MARCH TO SIX COUNTS OF WILLFUL RETENTION AND TRANSMISSION OF NATIONAL DEFENSE INFORMATION.

ADMITTING HE COLLECTED AND SHARED CLASSIFIED MILITARY FILES WITH USERS ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM DISCORD.

HIS ATTORNEYS ARGUED TEIXEIRA WASN’T TRYING TO HARM THE U-S BUT WAS INSTEAD ATTEMPTING TO EDUCATE HIS FRIENDS ABOUT WHAT HE SAW AS “HIS GENERATION’S WORLD WAR II OR IRAQ.”

DESCRIBING HIM AS AN AUTISTIC AND ISOLATED PERSON SPENDING MOST OF HIS TIME ON THE INTERNET.

PROSECUTORS CONTENDED TEIXEIRA STILL KNEW RIGHT FROM WRONG.

POINTING TO EVIDENCE TEIXEIRA TRIED TO COVER UP THE CRIME BY SMASHING HIS TABLET, LAPTOP AND XBOX IN A DUMPSTER AT HIS HOUSE.

THE SECURITY BREACH EXPOSED U-S MILITARY SECRETS ON RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE. INCLUDING TROOP MOVEMENTS AND UKRAINIAN TROOPS WEAPONS SUPPLIES.

TEIXEIRA WORKED AS A CYBER TRANSPORT SYSTEMS SUPPORT SPECIALIST AND REPORTEDLY REMAINS WITH THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD ON AN UNPAID STATUS.

IN THE AFTERMATH, THE PENTAGON TIGHTENED CONTROLS ON TOP SECRET INFORMATION AND THE LEAK LEFT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION RUSHING TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIPS.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.