Jack Teixeira, alleged classified documents leaker, indicted by federal grand jury

Jack Teixeira, the member of the Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard accused of leaking labeled paperwork on-line, has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

He’s going through six counts of willful retention and transmission of labeled info relation to the nationwide protection, in line with the Justice Division.

Teixeira, 21, is accused of abusing his safety clearance to take labeled paperwork and submit them on social media websites, in line with the Division of Justice. Teixeira revealed the sorts of army {hardware} the U.S. was ready to ship to Ukraine to help in its protection of Russia’s invasion and put the availability line in potential jeopardy, the indictment stated.

“The unauthorized elimination, retention and transmission of labeled info jeopardizes our nation’s safety. People granted entry to labeled supplies have a elementary obligation to safeguard the data for the protection of the USA, our lively service members, its residents and its allies,” performing United States Lawyer Joshua S. Levy stated in a press release. “We’re dedicated to making sure that these entrusted with delicate nationwide safety info adhere to the regulation.”

Every of the fees requires as much as 10 years in jail, if convicted. An arraignment date was not instantly set.

Michael Bachrach, an legal professional for Teixeira, declined ABC Information’ request to touch upon the indictment. A spokeswoman for the Teixeira household additionally declined to remark.

The six-count indictment revealed the type of labeled info Teixeria allegedly accessed and posted to a web based gaming platform, together with “info concerning the supply of apparatus to Ukraine, how the tools could be transferred, and the way the tools could be used upon receipt.”

There was additionally, a authorities doc discussing a plot by a international adversary to focus on United States forces overseas,” in line with the indictment.

Teixeira enlisted within the Air Nationwide Guard on Sept. 26, 2019, in line with his service document, and had Prime Secret safety clearance since 2021, in line with the DOJ. He started posting labeled paperwork on-line in January 2022, in line with the Justice Division.

In April, the FBI interviewed a member of a social media chat room the place Teixeira allegedly posted labeled paperwork. The member reportedly informed the FBI that the individual started posting “what seemed to be labeled info” round December and described the poster as somebody named Jack who appeared to stay in Massachusetts and “claimed that he was in the USA Air Nationwide Guard,” the unique felony criticism said.

“As specified by the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the USA authorities with entry to labeled nationwide protection info — together with info that moderately might be anticipated to trigger exceptionally grave injury to nationwide safety if shared,” Lawyer Basic Merrick Garland stated in a press release. “Teixeira is charged with sharing info with customers on a social media platform he knew weren’t entitled to obtain it. In doing so, he’s alleged to have violated U.S. regulation and endangered our nationwide safety.”

Final month, Teixeira was ordered to stay in custody throughout a listening to that noticed prosecutors allege he was a flight threat, even evaluating him to infamous leaker Edward Snowden.

“I’m going to grant the federal government’s movement for detention on every floor,” Choose David Hennessy informed the court docket. “What the document at this level exhibits is a profound breach.”

The protection had argued Teixeira has cooperated with the investigation, didn’t intend for the labeled info to be broadly disseminated and was prepared to stick with his dad and mom, who promised to show him in if he violated bail circumstances.

ABC Information’ Miles Cohen contributed to this report.