MA Guardsman ​Jack Teixeira​ Pleads Guilty In Docs Leak Case

MASSACHUSETTS — Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of leaking highly classified military documents about Russia's war in Ukraine and other national security secrets, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court.

The 22-year-old appeared in Boston for a change of plea hearing nearly a year after he was arrested in the case stemming from the most consequential national security leak in years.

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.

Teixeira had previously pleaded not guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act. Each count is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

A judge last year ordered Teixeira to remain behind bars while he awaits 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 help him escape.

Teixeira remains in the Air National Guard in an unpaid status, the Air Force said.

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

SEE ALSO:

• MA Guardsman Who Leaked Gov Docs Had History Of Violent Musings: DOJ
• MA Guardsman Accused In Docs Leak Had Been Warned By Superiors: Report
• MA Guardsman Charged Over Intel Leak In Worcester For Court Hearing
• 5 Things To Know About Jack Teixeira, Man Arrested In Gov Docs Leak

Prosecutors requested that Jack Teixeira remain detained prior to his trial as he "poses a serious flight risk" and may still be keeping information for hostile nations that could "offer him safe harbor and attempt to facilitate his escape from the United States," according to court documents released last year.

Teixeira is accused of leading a gaming chat group made up of around 20 or 30 young men and teenagers, in which, according to NBC News, he distributed the leaked documents revealing details of the U.S. spying on Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, secret assessments of Ukraine's combat power, and intelligence gathering on America’s allies.

Prosecutors said that the publication of "top secret" information, by definition, "reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security" of the United States. Other topics of discussion apparently included guns, racist memes, and video games.

An 18-page court filing obtained by Patch last year detailed said that Teixeira was suspended from his high school in 2018 when a classmate overheard him make remarks about weapons, including Molotov cocktails, guns at the school, and racial threats, which Teixeira later told officials were references to a video game.

Prosecutors also allege that Teixeira kept an arsenal of weapons in his bedroom at his primary residence with his mother and stepfather in North Dighton. He also made regular comments about violence and murder on social media, including musings about his wish to "kill a [expletive] ton of people" because it would be "culling the weak-minded" and make a minivan into an "assassination van," prosecutors said.

Teixeira's defense team has argued there is no allegation he ever intended for documents to be distributed widely.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.