Jack Teixeira, an aviator of USA accused of filter documents secret intelligence and defense secrets, has been officially charged in a court appearance in Boston.
The 21-year-old was wearing shackles and a prison uniform when he appeared before a federal judge.
After a shout of “I love you, Jack” from a person in the courtroom, the defendant responded “me too, Dad.”
Mr. Teixeira faces up to 15 years in prison on charges of unauthorized transmission of defense information.
What is Jack Teixeira accused of?
What is Jack Teixeira accused of?
He is also charged with the unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. The aviator faces up to 10 years in prison for the first charge and up to five years in prison for the second.
The dozens of leaked documents revealed American assessments of the war in Ukraine, as well as sensitive secrets about American allies.
The leaks embarrassed Washington and raised new questions about the security of classified information.
Mr. Teixeira was arrested by armed FBI agents at his family’s home in Massachusetts on Thursday.
The judge ruled that the suspect qualifies for a public defender, a lawyer employed at public expense in a criminal trial for people who cannot afford legal fees.
Mr. Teixeira remains in custody until his detention trial on April 19. US prosecutors have asked that he be detained pending his trial at a later date.
The BBC’s US news partner CBS reported that as the hearing ended, a man in the courtroom shouted: “I love you, Jack.”
Teixeira did not look back, but responded, “me too, dad,” according to a CNN reporter inside the courtroom.
US President Joe Biden thanked law enforcement in a statement for their “swift action” to investigate the source of the leaks. He said that he has ordered the US military and intelligence to secure and limit the distribution of any more sensitive information.
‘Top Secret Clearance’
‘Top Secret Clearance’.
The leaked intelligence material first appeared in a Discord chat room allegedly run by Teixeira, where members often discussed geopolitical issues and wars.
The affidavit provided to the court by FBI Special Agent Patrick Lueckenhoff indicates that the suspect began publishing the leaked documents sometime in December.
The initial leaks were in the form of paragraphs of text, according to the affidavit, but Teixeira then went on to post photos of documents in January.
It wasn’t until intelligence material was released outside of the chat room group that Pentagon officials became aware of the leak, prompting a search for the culprit.
Mr. Teixeira worked as an IT specialist with the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts National Guard, based at Otis Air National Guard Base on western Cape Cod.
The National Guard is a reservist wing of the United States Air Force. They are not employed full time in the military, but can be deployed when necessary.
Teixeira’s official title was cyber defense operations officer, according to the criminal complaint filed in Boston court. He held the rank of Airman 1st Class, a relatively junior position.
The affidavit said that Mr. Teixeira had a “top secret” security clearance since 2021, and that he would have “signed a binding lifetime confidentiality agreement” to assume his role.
Luekenoff added that the suspect “would have had to acknowledge that unauthorized disclosure of protected information could result in criminal charges.”
It may interest you: The US investigates the alleged leak of documents about the war in Ukraine
The affidavit also alleges that Teixeira used his government computer to search classified intelligence reports for the word “leak” on April 6, the day public reports about the documents first surfaced.
Prosecutors alleged that Teixeira searched for the term to find out if US intelligence had information on the identity of the person behind the leaks.
Follow us on Google news, Facebook and Twitter to stay informed with today’s news!
