Jack Teixeira, a 22-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for leaking highly classified U.S. military documents. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued the sentence in Boston after Teixeira pleaded guilty to what federal prosecutors described as one of the most severe violations of U.S. anti-espionage law. In court, Teixeira apologized, saying, “I’m sorry for all of the harm that I’ve brought and that I’ve caused.”
Teixeira, dressed in an orange jail uniform, had been in custody since his April 2023 arrest. He admitted to six counts of willfully retaining and transmitting classified information. Over the span of a year, Teixeira posted hundreds of classified documents to a group on the social platform Discord. Despite warnings and extensive training on handling sensitive information, he continued to access and share these documents.
Judge Talwani expressed disappointment that others hadn’t intervened sooner, saying, “The fact that others did not do more to stop you is truly unfortunate.”
Ahead of his sentencing, Teixeira also reached a resolution on separate military charges, including obstruction of justice. These charges are set for a court-martial hearing in March, though the Air Force has not confirmed a deal.
Teixeira, who held a top-secret clearance, was stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts as a cyber defense operations journeyman. His actions involved sharing documents on topics such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, beginning in January 2022.
Also read: Palin, New York Times Weigh Settlement in Defamation Retrial
