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Air Guardsman Jack Teixeira, 22, Gets 15 Years for Leaking Ukraine War Documents

Nov 12, 2024, 09:16 PM

Jack Teixeira, a 22-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for leaking highly classified military documents online. Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts under the Espionage Act related to the willful retention and transmission of national defense information. The leaked documents, shared on the social media platform Discord, included sensitive information about Russia's war in Ukraine and other national security matters. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of nearly 17 years, arguing that Teixeira "perpetrated one of the most significant and consequential violations of the Espionage Act in American history" and that "the damage caused is historic." They emphasized that Teixeira "understood the risk to his country and did it anyway," and that a long sentence would serve as a cautionary tale, stating, "They will know his name." The defense had requested an 11-year sentence, attributing his actions to his youth and stating that he "wasn't trying to harm the U.S. government." During the sentencing in federal court in Boston, presided over by Judge Indira Talwani, Teixeira apologized to the court, saying, "I’m at your mercy," and claimed responsibility for his actions. His father was present in the courtroom. The sentence exceeds what the defense requested but is less than what prosecutors sought.