Jack Teixeira Explained

Jack Teixeira
Known For:2022–2023 Pentagon leaks
Module:
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Allegiance:United States
Branch:
Serviceyears:2019–present

Jack Douglas Teixeira (; born December 2001) is a former American airman in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. In April 2023, following an investigation into the removal and disclosure of hundreds of classified Pentagon documents, Teixeira was arrested by FBI agents and charged with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act of 1917 and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material. In March 2024, Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information; he will be sentenced in September 2024.

Early life

Teixeira was born in December 2001.[1] [2] Teixeira's stepfather is a retired master sergeant in the United States Air Force. His stepfather and stepbrother worked at Joint Base Cape Cod.[3] His mother worked for a non-profit organization that supported military veterans.

Teixeira is of Portuguese descent; his grandfather immigrated to the United States from São Miguel Island, in the Azores.[4] [5]

He graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School in 2020, but missed his graduation ceremony to attend United States Air Force Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.[6] [7] [8]

Career

Upon graduating from high school, Teixeira joined the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard as a Cyber Transport Systems journeyman in September 2019.[9] Teixeira was stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base in Cape Cod.[10] In July 2022, Teixeira was promoted to airman first class.[11] Many U.S. military personnel in technology or intelligence positions, even those of relatively low rank, are entrusted with access to classified information.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] As part of his job, Teixeira held a Top Secret security clearance.[17] [18] He was also the recipient of an Air Force Achievement Medal.[19]

Alleged publication of leaked material

See main article: 2023 Pentagon document leaks. In early April 2023, Teixeira was alleged by media to have regularly shared classified information in a server on the online chat service Discord called "Thug Shaker Central",[20] [21] beginning at least by October 2022, both transcribed from documents he read and from printouts removed from his office on base.[22] [23] Chatroom members reportedly talked about and played video games together;[24] according to The New York Times, Teixeira was identified as the chatroom administrator. Reports of the server's size vary, between about two dozen and about fifty members.[24]

On 28 February 2023, a Thug Shaker Central member was alleged to have posted dozens of pictures of classified documents to another Discord server.[25] From there, someone else alleges they posted images found on that server to a Discord server associated with the Minecraft video game.[25] After classified documents began appearing on Russian-language Telegram channels, The New York Times first reported on the leak.[26] On 21 April, The New York Times reported that a Discord account with similar characteristics as the online profile of Teixeira had shared written summaries of classified information and likely shared photographs of documents to a Discord server with about 600 members from about February 2022 until about March 2023.

Arrest and prosecution

On the morning of 13 April 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Teixeira at his home in Dighton, where Teixeira lived with his mother and stepfather. Next to his bed, investigators found Teixeira's stockpile of weapons, including handguns, shotguns, bolt-action rifles, an AK-style rifle with high-capacity magazine, a gas mask, and other weapons.

The next day, Teixeira made his first appearance at the U.S. District Court in Boston before a U.S. magistrate judge, and the formal charging document was unsealed.[27] [28] He was charged with two offenses: (1) violating the Espionage Act of 1917 by retaining and transmitting national defense information without authorization and (2) unauthorized removal and retention of classified information.[28] [27] The first charge has a maximum prison sentence of ten years; the second charge, a maximum of five years.[29] [30] A supporting affidavit from a FBI Counterintelligence Division special agent was attached to the criminal complaint.[31]

Teixeira is represented by counsel from the federal public defender's office,[32] who requested and received postponement of Teixeira's detention hearing to allow more time to review the case.[33] In advance of a 27 April detention hearing, the prosecution and defense filed memos with the court. The prosecution advocated ongoing detention without bond, arguing that Teixeira posed a "serious flight risk"; the prosecution's memo alleged Teixeira had attempted to obstruct the federal investigation by destroying evidence; might still possess secret information of "tremendous value to hostile nation states"; and had a record of making racist and violent comments, including in late 2022 and early 2023.[34] [35] [36] To support detention without bond, prosecutors also raised an incident from while Teixeira was a high school sophomore in 2018 that resulted in his suspension from school and prevented him from obtaining a gun license until he joined the National Guard.[37] [38] [39] [40] Prosecutors also alleged that Teixeira's supervisors had in September and October 2022 and January 2023 caught him taking notes on classified material or viewing material not needed for his job, and admonished him to "cease and desist".[41] At a 19 May hearing, a judge ruled Teixeira would be held without bail until trial.[42] [43] On 15 June, Teixeira was indicted,[44] and he pleaded not guilty in court on 21 June.[45]

On 4 March 2024, Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information.[46] He will be sentenced on 27 September 2024; Teixeira faces between 11 years and 16 years and 8 months in prison if the plea is accepted by the court.[47]

Notes and References

  1. Rebecca Falconer, Prosecutors call Pentagon leak suspect an ongoing national security risk, Axios (27 April 2023): "Teixeira, who was born in 2001, ..."
  2. Web site: Autran . Frédéric . Patriote raté, catholique fervent, fan d'armes… ce que l'on sait sur Jack Teixeira, le principal suspect des fuites du Pentagone . 4 May 2023 . Libération . fr . 4 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230504164952/https://www.liberation.fr/international/amerique/patriote-rate-catholique-fervent-fan-darmes-ce-que-lon-sait-sur-jack-teixeira-le-principal-suspect-des-fuites-du-pentagone-20230414_PLWCGCHY4RDBZJYFTCLBUK5PTU/ . live .
  3. Web site: MA Air National Guardsman from Dighton stationed on Cape Cod, arrested over military leaks . 13 April 2023 . Coffey . Denise . . 13 April 2023. 14 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230414112626/https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2023/04/13/live-massachusetts-national-guardsman-ukraine-military-leak/70111691007/ . live .
  4. News: 13 April 2023 . É lusodescendente o líder do grupo online que partilhou documentos confidenciais dos EUA sobre a guerra: Jack Teixeira, novas informações . The Leader of the Online Group That Shared Confidential US Documents About the War is of Portuguese Descent: Jack Teixeira, New Information . CNN Portugal . pt . 13 April 2023. 14 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230414013752/https://cnnportugal.iol.pt/jack-teixeira/acoriano/e-lusodescendente-o-lider-do-grupo-online-que-partilhou-documentos-confidenciais-dos-eua-sobre-a-guerra-jack-teixeira-novas-informacoes/20230413/6438698f0cf2cf9225025a00 . live .
  5. Web site: 14 April 2023 . Quem é Jack Teixeira, o descendente de portugueses suspeito de vazar documentos sigilosos dos EUA . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230414234922/https://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2023/04/14/quem-e-jack-teixeira-o-descendente-de-portugueses-suspeito-de-vazar-documentos-sigilosos-dos-eua.ghtml . 14 April 2023 . 14 April 2023 . .
  6. Web site: The Airman Who Wanted to Give Gamers a Real Taste of War . 13 April 2023 . Toler . Aric . Triebert . Christiaan . Willis . Haley . Browne . Malachy . Schwirtz . Michael . Mellen . Riley . . 13 April 2023. 13 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413232119/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/13/world/europe/jake-teixeira-pentagon-leak.html . live .
  7. News: Lamothe, Dan . Hill, Evan . Horton, Alex . Ryan, Missy . 14 April 2023 . 13 April 2023 . He's From a Military Family—And Allegedly Leaked U.S. Secrets . The Washington Post . 14 April 2023. 14 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230414054943/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/13/jack-teixeira-discord-document-leak/ . live .
  8. Web site: Jack Teixeira: National Guard Airman Arrested Over Leaked Pentagon Documents. Wendling. Mike. 14 April 2023. BBC News. 14 April 2023. 13 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230413234543/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65269975. live.
  9. News: Perez . Evan . Herb . Jeremy . Bertrand . Natasha . Natasha Bertrand . Cohen . Zachary . Liptak . Kevin . 14 April 2023 . FBI arrests 21-year-old Air Force guardsman in Pentagon leak case . live . en . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413163900/https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/13/politics/us-government-intel-leak/index.html . 13 April 2023 . 23 June 2023.
  10. Web site: Who leaked the Pentagon documents? What we know about Jack Teixeira, the suspected DOD leaker . 13 April 2023 . Tran . Ken . Mansfield . Erin . Carless . Will . . 13 April 2023 . 14 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230414112548/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/13/jack-teixeira-pentagon-leaks-documents-military/11658107002/ . live .
  11. Web site: What we know about suspected Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira . 13 April 2023 . Dress . Brad . . 13 April 2023 . 13 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413220221/https://thehill.com/homenews/3949172-what-we-know-about-suspected-pentagon-leaker-jack-teixera/ . live .
  12. Web site: Cooper . Helene . Ismay . John . Barnes . Julian E. . Schmitt . Eric . It's typical for a national guardsman with Teixeira's job to have top-secret clearance. . The New York Times . September 22, 2023 . March 7, 2024 . 10 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230910034237/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/04/14/us/leaked-documents-jack-teixeira/why-would-a-young-national-guardsman-be-able-to-access-top-secret-documents-to-begin-with . live .
  13. Web site: Cooper . Helene . Austin Defends Giving Young Service Members Access to Classified Data . The New York Times . April 19, 2023 . March 7, 2024 . 27 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527083418/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/19/world/europe/documents-leak-data-access-austin.html . live .
  14. News: Merchant . Nomaan . Smith . Michelle R. . Leak suspect yearned to join military but then regretted it . 17 April 2023 . . 14 April 2023 . en . 17 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417005540/https://apnews.com/article/jack-teixeira-leaked-national-guard-military-ukraine-e3161fc35a3872ace55a36297a1cae68 . live .
  15. News: Dave Philipps. Transcript: Why Low-Ranking Soldiers Have Access to Top Secret Documents. The Daily. The New York Times. 21 April 2023. 26 April 2023. 27 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230427141003/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/podcasts/the-daily/us-military-leak.html?showTranscript=1. live.
  16. News: A 21-year-old with top secret access? It's not as rare as you think. Lara Seligman. Politico. 13 April 2023. 26 April 2023. 26 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230426214518/https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/13/21-year-old-with-top-secret-information-00092002. live.
  17. News: Manzhos . Mariya . Barrett . Devlin . Wagner . John . Suspect charged in case involving leaked classified military documents . 17 April 2023 . Washington Post . 14 April 2023 . 19 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230419050714/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/14/jack-teixeira-military-leaks-court-appearance/ . live .
  18. News: Toler . Aric . Browne . Malachy . Barnes . Julian E. . 21 April 2023 . Airman Shared Sensitive Intelligence More Widely and for Longer Than Previously Known . en-US . The New York Times . live . 22 April 2023 . 0362-4331 . https://archive.today/20230422072339/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/us/politics/jack-teixeira-leaks-russia-ukraine.html . 22 April 2023 . registration .
  19. Bergengruen . Vera . Hennigan . W.J. . 13 April 2023 . The Strange Saga of Jack Teixeira Reveals New Security Challenges . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413225429/https://time.com/6271787/jack-teixeira-arrest-leaks/ . 13 April 2023 . 13 April 2023.
  20. News: Leak of military secrets on Discord marks a new step for social media . en-US . The Washington Post . live . 14 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413102718/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/12/discord-documents-oxide-wow-mao/ . 13 April 2023 . 0190-8286.
  21. News: Harris . Shane . Oakford . Samuel . Barrett . Devlin . Stein . Perry . 13 April 2023 . Suspected leaker of top-secret Pentagon documents arrested . en-US . The Washington Post . live . 14 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413165553/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/13/suspect-pentagon-documents-leak/ . 13 April 2023 . 0190-8286.
  22. Web site: Discord member details how documents leaked from closed chat group . 12 April 2023 . Harris . Shane . Oakford . Samuel . The Washington Post . 13 April 2023 . 13 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413031127/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/12/discord-leaked-documents/ . live .
  23. News: Harris . Shane . Barrett . Devlin . Nakashima . Ellen . 14 April 2023 . Leak raises fresh questions about Pentagon's internal security . en-US . The Washington Post . 15 April 2023.
  24. Web site: Carpenter . Nicole . 14 April 2023 . Why Discord is at the heart of a major US intelligence leak . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230414210223/https://www.polygon.com/23683683/discord-classified-documents-leak-thug-shaker-central-jack-teixeira . 14 April 2023 . 14 April 2023 . Polygon.
  25. News: Harris . Shane . Oakford . Samuel . Barrett . Devlin . FBI leak investigators home in on members of private Discord server . 22 April 2023 . The Washington Post . 21 April 2023 . 23 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230423011224/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/21/discord-leak-fbi-investigation/ . live .
  26. News: Willis . Haley . Gibbons-Neff . Thomas . Toler . Aric . Triebert . Christiaan . Barnes . Julian E. . Browne . Malachy . F.B.I. Arrests National Guardsman in Leak of Classified Documents . 22 April 2023 . . 14 April 2023 . 13 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413222920/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/13/world/documents-leak-leaker-identity.html . live .
  27. Web site: John R. Ellement . Shelley Murphy . Travis Andersen . Guardsman charged with violation of Espionage Act in federal court. Boston Globe. 14 April 2023. 15 April 2023. 15 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230415030731/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/14/metro/jack-teixeira-due-in-court-in-boston-friday/. live.
  28. Web site: Saraya Wintersmith. 14 April 2023. Accused leaker of secret documents makes first federal court appearance in Boston. WGBH. 15 April 2023. 15 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230415030732/https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2023/04/14/accused-leaker-of-secret-documents-makes-first-federal-court-appearance-in-boston. live.
  29. News: Gozzi . Laura . Debusmann . Bernd . US leak: What punishment could Jack Teixeira face? . 22 April 2023 . . 14 April 2023 . 21 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230421164032/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65273543 . live .
  30. News: Petrishen . Brad . Accused military leaker Jack Teixeira to face detention hearing in Worcester Thursday . 22 April 2023 . The Worcester Telegram & Gazette . 22 April 2023 . 22 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230422231244/https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2023/04/22/accused-military-leaker-jack-teixeira-to-face-detention-hearing-in-worcester-thursday/70142262007/ . live .
  31. News: Helmore . Edward . Borger . Julian . 14 April 2023 . Jack Teixeira, suspect in Pentagon leaks, charged under Espionage Act . en-GB . . 15 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230415022753/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/14/jack-teixeira-charged-pentagon-leaks-espionage-act . live .
  32. John R. Ellement, Detention hearing for Teixeira set for Thursday in Worcester, Boston Globe (24 April 2023).
  33. News: Gurman . Sadie . Youssef . Nancy A. . 19 April 2023 . Airman Jack Teixeira's Detention Hearing Postponed . live . . https://archive.today/lbHMk . 19 April 2023 . 19 April 2023 . subscription.
  34. News: Zachary Cohen & Hannah Rabinowitz. Prosecutors say leaks suspect has history of making violent threats and possessed an 'arsenal of weapons'. CNN. 27 April 2023. 28 April 2023. 28 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230428152102/https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/27/politics/jack-teixeira-detention-hearing/index.html. live.
  35. News: Richer . Alanna Durkin . Tucker . Eric . Copp . Tara . Guardsman in leaked docs case talked of violence, may still possess secrets, feds say . 27 April 2023 . . 27 April 2023 . en . 27 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230427115920/https://apnews.com/article/leaked-documents-air-national-guardsman-jack-teixeira-d7c8dbaeb3b7a5ae69faeab04ede2ab0 . live .
  36. News: Ables . Kelsey . Discord leaks suspect discussed mass violence, had 'arsenal,' prosecutors say . 27 April 2023 . The Washington Post . 27 April 2023.
  37. News: Glenn Thrush. Airman Accused of Leak Has History of Racist and Violent Remarks, Filing Says. New York Times. 27 April 2023. 28 April 2023. 28 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230428152059/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/27/us/politics/jack-teixeira-leaks.html. live.
  38. News: Wall Street Journal. Denied a Gun License Over School Threat, Accused Leaker Jack Teixeira Later Got Top-Secret Clearance. Nancy A. Youssef. Sadie Gurman. 27 April 2023. 28 April 2023. 28 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230428152059/https://www.wsj.com/articles/denied-a-gun-license-over-school-threat-accused-leaker-jack-teixeira-later-got-top-secret-clearance-1b0cd54. live.
  39. News: Guns and threats of violence: A darker picture emerges of accused leaker Jack Teixeira. Mike Damiano. Boston Globe. 27 April 2023. 8 September 2023. 28 April 2023. https://archive.today/20230428013909/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/27/metro/jack-d-teixeira-leaks-classified-documents/. bot: unknown.
  40. News: After police denied Jack Teixeira's gun license application twice, he wrote a letter touting his security clearance. Travis Andersen. Boston Globe. 27 April 2023. 8 September 2023. 28 April 2023. https://archive.today/20230428013909/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/27/metro/jack-d-teixeira-leaks-classified-documents/. bot: unknown.
  41. News: Mass. airman accused in leak case was previously caught accessing classified documents, feds say . 17 May 2023 . Ally Jarmanning . . 18 May 2023 . 18 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230518194201/https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/05/17/government-leak-teixeira-caught-accessing-documents . live .
  42. News: Rabinowitz . Hannah . Pentagon leaks suspect to remain detained as he awaits trial . 27 May 2023 . . 19 May 2023 . 26 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230526235956/https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/19/politics/jack-teixeira-detention-hearing/index.html . live .
  43. News: Jack Teixeira, Air National Guardsman accused of leaking secrets, will remain in custody awaiting trial, judge rules . Shelley Murphy . Nick Stoico . 19 May 2023 . . 20 May 2023 . 20 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230520190805/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/19/metro/jack-teixeira-guardsman-accused-of-leaking-top-secret-information-due-in-court/ . live .
  44. Web site: Airman Is Indicted on Charges of Mishandling Secrets . 15 June 2023 . Thrush . Glenn . . 15 June 2023 . 23 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230823155408/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/15/us/politics/jack-teixeira-indicted-document-leaks.html . live .
  45. Web site: Jack Teixeira, Air National Guardsman, pleads not guilty to six federal charges . . Shelley Murphy . 21 June 2023 . 24 June 2023 . 18 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230918204532/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/06/21/metro/jack-teixeira-air-national-guardsman-pleads-not-guilty-six-federal-charges/ . live .
  46. News: Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to leaking intelligence documents on Discord . 4 March 2024 . Harris . Shane . Oakford . Samuel . . https://archive.today/20240304161237/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/04/jack-teixeira-guilty-plea-discord/ . 4 March 2024 . subscription . 4 March 2024.
  47. Web site: live. Air National Guardsman Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Disclosing Classified National Defense Information. 4 March 2024. United States Department of Justice. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts. https://archive.today/20240305133654/https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/air-national-guardsman-pleads-guilty-unlawfully-disclosing-classified-national-defense. 5 March 2024. 5 March 2024.

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