UPDATE: MA Guardsman Jack Teixeira Gets 15 Years In Pentagon Leaks Scandal

MASSACHUSETTS — Jack Teixeira, the former Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about Russia's war in Ukraine and other national security secrets, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday.

In March, Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of Espionage Act violations, admitting that he shared sensitive military information — some of which was marked top secret — in chatrooms and Discord servers.

Prosecutors plan to seek nearly 17 years in prison for him, according to the plea agreement.

Teixeira, of North Dighton, has been behind bars since his April arrest in the case that raised alarm over America's ability to protect its most closely guarded secrets and forced the Biden administration to scramble to try to contain diplomatic and military fallout.

The leak led the Pentagon to tighten controls to safeguard classified information, and the Air Force disciplined 15 personnel as its inspector general found last year that multiple officials intentionally failed to take required action about Teixeira's suspicious behavior.

As of March, Teixeira remained in the Air National Guard in an unpaid status, the Air Force said. He was stationed at Joint Base Cape Cod.

Teixeira made his first court appearance in Boston April 13, 2023 after his arrest at his mother's North Dighton house the previous day