How old is Jack Teixeira? Massachusetts Air National Guard member faces up to 16 years in prison for leaking Pentagon information on Discord

Recently, an Air National Guard, Jack Teixeira, pleaded guilty to posting multiple classified documents online. The Massachusetts Air National Guard member entered a guilty plea on Monday, March 4, for leaking highly classified military data about the war in Ukraine and other national security secrets.

22-year-old Jack Teixeira entered a guilty plea and agreed to a maximum 16-year prison sentence. Six counts of "willful retention and transmission of national defense information" were brought against him. The Justice Department will drop all additional Espionage Act charges against him as part of the agreement.

As per NBC News, the catastrophic security lapse made the Biden administration race to attempt to control the diplomatic and military ramifications while casting doubt on America's capacity to preserve its most carefully held secrets.

---

Jack Teixeira has been charged for leaking Pentagon information on Discord

Jack Teixeira has been sentenced to prison (Image via Pexels)

Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, entered a guilty plea in federal court on Monday, March 4, for leaking highly classified military papers regarding the conflict in Ukraine and other secrets related to national security.

He used the gamer's Discord network to discuss papers while working at an Air National Guard base. Maps, satellite photos, and intelligence on US allies were among the materials.

He acknowledged unlawfully gathering military secrets and disclosing them to other users on the famous social media site Discord, which gamers use to communicate online.

According to NBC News, the Pentagon was humiliated by the disclosures and improved security measures to protect sensitive data. Additionally, members determined to have willfully neglected to take necessary action on Teixeira's suspicious behavior were reprimanded.

Nearly a year after his arrest in the most significant national security breach in recent memory, Teixeira entered a guilty plea to six charges of willful retention and transfer of national defense information under the Espionage Act in a US federal court in Boston on Monday.

On the other hand, Jack Teixeira has consented not to challenge the prosecution's request for 200 months in prison, as stipulated in the plea agreement.

As per the official website of the Government of Justice, addressing the incident, the Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said:

"Mr. Teixeira exploited his Top-Secret security clearance to share our nation’s secrets on a social media platform. He violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend and, in doing so, he undermined our national security and risked the safety of Americans serving overseas and our allies."

He further said:

"Every instance of mishandling classified information weakens our defense and compromises our ability to thwart potential threats. We cannot afford to underestimate the gravity of this conduct; it has far-reaching consequences that transcend individual interests."

According to Teixeira's plea deal with the prosecution, he might spend anywhere from 11 to 17 years in prison. Prosecutors, however, suggest that Jack Teixeira receive a sentence of up to 16 years and eight months in prison. Furthermore, he will also have to pay a fine of at least $50,000 (£39,000).

---

Teixeira made a brief statement at the court to express his approval of the plea arrangement. In a federal court in Boston, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani set the date for sentencing on September 27 and stated that she would formally decide to accept the arrangement at that point.

However, the defense official told ABC News that Jack Teixeira is still on active duty in the Air Force and may be charged with a crime in the United States if the civil accusations are resolved. He had been placed on Title 10 active duty status in the Air Force as a Massachusetts Air National guardsman, pending the resolution of whether Teixeira should be charged with military crimes as well.