Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, has pleaded guilty to leaking top-secret military documents about Russia’s war in Ukraine and other national security secrets on Discord.
The 22-year-old admitted all six charges related to the deliberate retention and transmission of national defense information in the most consequential security breach in years – and accepted a 16-year prison sentence on Monday as part of a plea deal.
In return, Boston prosecutors agreed not to prosecute him for further charges under the Espionage Act.
Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, has been behind bars since his arrest in April.
His case raised alarm about America’s ability to protect its best-kept secrets and forced the Biden administration to scramble to limit the diplomatic and military fallout.
Jack Teixeira previously pleaded not guilty to charges surrounding his alleged posting of classified documents on the social media platform Discord, but prosecutors have now asked a federal judge to schedule a plea modification hearing for Monday.
FBI agents arrest Teixeira, a U.S. Air Force National Guard operative, in connection with an investigation into the online leak of classified U.S. documents, outside a home in this still image from a video in North Dighton, Massachusetts, on April 13 2023
Jack Douglas Teixeira is seen in this image from his 2020 High School yearbook. Teixeira graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School in Massachusetts
The leak prompted the Pentagon to tighten controls to protect classified information, and the Air Force has disciplined 15 personnel as the inspector general found last year that multiple officials deliberately failed to take required action against Teixeira’s suspicious behavior.
Under the terms of his plea deal, Teixeira must also attend a debriefing with the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice and return any sensitive materials still in his possession.
Teixeira, who was 21 at the time of his arrest, previously pleaded not guilty to six charges of intentionally retaining and transmitting national defense information under the Espionage Act.
Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
Last year, a judge ordered Teixeira to remain behind bars while he awaited trial after prosecutors revealed he had a history of violent rhetoric and warned that U.S. adversaries who might be interested in mining Teixeira for information could target him help you escape.
Before pleading guilty, Teixeira remained in the Air National Guard without pay, the Air Force said.
Teixeira was part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts when authorities said he illegally collected military secrets and shared them with other users on Discord, a social media platform popular with people online play games.
Investigators say Teixeira was in charge of a group on the platform called Thug Shaker Central, which discussed guns and wars.
Teixeira, 22, was indicted on six counts of intentionally retaining national defense information and subsequently leaking it
The US Department of Justice has released evidence collected during its investigation into the US Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents online
Jack Michael Teixeira, center, father of Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, leaves federal court, Monday, March 4, 2024, in Boston
Teixeira joined the Air National Guard in 2019 and started sharing military secrets with his Discord friends last January.
Conversations between the 22-year-old and members of the Discord group indicate that his actions may have been motivated more by bravado than any specific ideology.
Prosecutors have urged the judge to keep the suspect locked up while the case plays out, partly because of a large arsenal of weapons found in his home and a history of disturbing online statements.
Investigators say Teixeira was in charge of a group on the platform called Thug Shaker Central, which discussed guns and wars
In a social media post, he wrote that if he could, he would kill “a lot of people” because it would “kill the weak in spirit.”
Judge Indira Talwani denied him bail after finding that “no conditions of release can reasonably ensure the safety of the community or prevent destruction of evidence.”
Teixeira worked as a cyber transportation systems specialist, essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks.
Authorities said he first typed up classified documents he had gained access to and then began sharing photos of files marked SECRET and TOP SECRET.
Teixeira’s crimes were exposed on April 6 last year – the same day the New York Times published a story about the leaked documents.
The leak exposed to the world reveals unvarnished secret assessments of Russia’s war in Ukraine, other countries’ capabilities and geopolitical interests, and other national security issues.
The allies then had to be sure that their secrets were well protected by the US government.
Prosecutors have said little about an alleged motive. But members of the Discord group described Teixeira as someone who wanted to show off, rather than being motivated by a desire to inform the public about U.S. military operations or influence U.S. policy.
Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, second from right, is accused of leaking top secret military documents on a social media platform
Prosecutors have said little about an alleged motive. But members of the Discord group described Teixeira as someone who wanted to show off, rather than being motivated by a desire to inform the public about U.S. military operations or influence U.S. policy.
Prosecutors have said Teixeira continued to leak government secrets even after being warned by superiors about mishandling and improperly viewing classified information he was not authorized to see.
In one instance, Teixeira was seen taking notes on intelligence information and putting them in his pocket.
Even after the warning, he was warned again for searching information not directly related to the intelligence field.
Authorities have not provided much insight into possible motives for Teixeira’s behavior.
The Air Force inspector general found that members “intentionally failed to report the full details” of Teixeira’s unauthorized intelligence investigation because they believed security officials might overreact.
For example, while Teixeira was confronted with the note, there was no follow-up to ensure the note was shredded and the incident was not reported to security officers.
It was not until an incident in January 2023 that appropriate security officials were notified, but even then, security officials were not informed of the full scope of the violations.