The suspected Pentagon leaker has been ordered to remain in jail pending trial on charges of violating the espionage law.
Jack Texeira, 21, is accused of releasing hundreds of thousands of classified files about the war in Ukraine on a gaming chat server in one of the most serious intelligence leaks in US history.
The disgraced Air National Guardsman appeared Friday in federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts, where Magistrate Judge David Hennessy granted prosecutors’ request to detain him.
Texeira’s lawyers asked for his release under house arrest pending trial, but Hennessy said he posed a flight risk and could further obstruct justice.
The judge said the number of Americans he endangered was as long as a phone book.
Jack Texeira, 21, the suspected Pentagon leaker, has been ordered to remain in jail pending trial on charges of violating espionage law
Texeira, who was arrested April 13, is the prime suspect in the disclosure of US documents related to the war in Ukraine and a host of other topics
These are two of the leaked documents shared by the New York Times
This document appears to reflect the state of Ukraine’s air defenses in February and May, when they are expected to be severely depleted
Teixeira, who was arrested April 13, is the prime suspect in the disclosure of US documents related to the war in Ukraine and a host of other topics.
He reportedly posted secret memos in an Internet chat room about the war in Ukraine, as well as US ties to key allies such as Israel.
The incident is an embarrassing leak that has led the US government to look into its failure to protect vital national security secrets.
Teixeira appeared at the hearing wearing an orange jumpsuit and a new buzz haircut.
His lawyers argued that he would not run and pointed out how he did not when news of his alleged leaks became national news.
According to prosecutors, he allegedly leaked classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord.
Prosecutors alleged that Teixeira kept notes on top secret details shared during meetings, which he later shared.
He was berated in September and October for taking notes during meetings and, according to prosecutors, was instructed not to “take a deep dive into classified intelligence information.”
They added that in February he was caught “viewing content unrelated to his duties”
The classified documents were allegedly shared with a 150-member Discord group that discussed guns and gaming.
Teixeira allegedly bragged about the level of access he had, telling friends he would share “a lot of information” about US intelligence agencies in Syria, China, Iran, Palestine and Israel, among others.
Prosecutors said he wrote, “Idgaf (I don’t care***) what they say I can or can’t share… [a]I’ve told you all I can’t do that.’
The National Guardsman allegedly posted classified memos in an internet chat room that touched on the war in Ukraine, as well as US ties to key allies like Israel
Jack Michael Teixeira arrives Friday for the hearing on his son Teixeira
“Who has he endangered?” Hennessy said. “You could make a list as long as a phone book.”
The leak is considered the most serious breach of US national security since more than 700,000 documents, videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010.
Teixeira faces one charge of violating the Espionage Act, relating to unlawfully copying and transmitting sensitive defense materials, and a second charge of unlawfully removing defense materials to an unauthorized location.
The leaked secret documents contained top secret information about allies and adversaries, with details ranging from Ukraine’s air defense to Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
US President Joe Biden has ordered an investigation into why the alleged leaker had access to the sensitive information.
Teixeira is being held at the Plymouth County Jail, south of Boston.
According to the indictment form, he received the highest security clearance in 2021 as a member of the National Guard.
FBI investigators arrested him earlier this month without incident in Dighton, Massachusetts in a raid on his mother’s home.
Officers found that he kept his gun cabinet within reach of his bed and that it contained handguns, shotguns, shotguns and a gas mask.
Teixeira posted the trove of top secret files under his online username “Jack the Dripper” for months before the leak was discovered.
He worked as a junior cybersecurity specialist in the intelligence unit at Otis Air National Guard Base in western Cape Cod.
Photo evidence collected during the investigation of US Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira accused of leaking classified documents online
The criminal charges against Jack Teixeira were filed on April 14, 2023
It is believed to have started on the popular social media platform Discord.
Teixeira posted about guns, games and top secret information from the US government, but some of his fellow chat room members reported his activities to investigators.
It alleged that the 21-year-old used his government computer to search classified intelligence reports for the word “leak” on April 6.
That was the day the stories first circulated about the massive security breach.
Prosecutors allege he searched the term to determine whether U.S. intelligence had information about the identity of the person behind the leaks.
This document appears to reflect the state of Ukraine’s air defenses in February and May, when they are expected to be severely depleted
He was identified as the leader of a chat room known as Thug Shaker Central on Discord.
He then allegedly posted images of folded papers because he felt his writings were not being taken seriously, the Associated Press reported.
US Justice Department officials have opened an investigation into the 21-year-old, whose actions have embarrassed US allies around the world.
Washington’s longtime friends, from Britain to South Korea and Israel, called much of the information bogus.
It outlined possible arms deliveries to Ukraine, as well as details of Western-led training for the Ukrainian armed forces.
The 21-year-old’s actions have been roundly criticized by lawmakers from all political parties.