Jack Teixeira has admitted to six counts of federal criminal offenses and has agreed to a 16-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal. Prosecutors are arguing that the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, who shared classified military information with his Discord chat group, should face additional military charges for his actions. During a court hearing on May 14, prosecutors pushed for three military-specific charges against Teixeira: one count of disobeying a lawful order and two counts of obstructing justice.
Teixeira, 22, pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents and accepted the terms of the plea deal, which includes a $50,000 fine and 36 months of supervised release following his prison term. The sentencing is scheduled for September 27 by a federal judge, and there is a possibility that his case may be referred to a general court-martial.
Military prosecutors presented evidence during the hearing to support the additional charges, alleging that Teixeira failed to follow orders from a superior and attempted to conceal his actions by disposing of electronic devices and instructing Discord users to delete his messages. The discipline to obey orders is crucial in the military, according to Capt. Stephanie Evans, the military attorney representing the U.S. Air Force.
Teixeira’s defense did not present any evidence or call witnesses during the hearing but argued that double jeopardy should prevent the Air Force from bringing additional charges. However, a military legal expert disagreed, stating that the new charges are different from those Teixeira pled guilty to in federal court and do not constitute double jeopardy.
The Department of Justice did not charge Teixeira with any purely military offenses, such as failure to obey orders under the military code. The leaks of sensitive military documents shared by Teixeira contained intelligence about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including details on troop movements and equipment provision to Ukrainian forces.
The leaked documents were posted on a Discord server called “Thug Shaker Central,” and they gained national attention as they were reshared on social media platforms like Twitter and Telegram. Federal prosecutors believe that Teixeira accessed the documents while working as a cyber transport systems specialist for the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts.
The case will now be evaluated by Lt. Col. Michael Raming, the hearing officer, to determine if it should move forward to trial. The leaks of classified military information have raised concerns about national security and the importance of maintaining the integrity of sensitive intelligence. Please rewrite this sentence.
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