Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, accused of leaking classified military documents on social media sites, has pleaded not guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
June 21 (UPI) — A 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, accused of leaking classified military documents on social media sites, has pleaded not guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information.
Jack Teixeira, who was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month and has been in custody since his April arrest, could face up to 60 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines if convicted on all counts of violating the U.S. Espionage Act.
Teixeira, wearing an orange prison uniform, told federal magistrate judge, David H. Hennessy, “Not guilty, your honor,” during Wednesday’s 10-minute hearing attended by his family in Worcester, Mass.
“We remain as committed as ever and our entire family continues to share complete and unwavering support of Jack,” Teixeira’s family said in a statement.
“Jack will now have his day in court. And as we move through this process, we are hopeful that Jack will be getting the fair and just treatment he deserves. We realize there is a long road ahead, and we ask for your continued respect for our privacy during this difficult ordeal.”
Teixeira is accused of abusing his security clearance and posting classified information on social media sites, as early as January 2022, according to court documents. His service record shows he enlisted in the Air National Guard in 2019 and received top secret security clearance in 2021.
According to court documents, Teixeira allegedly shared covert information about national security matters, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prosecutors have submitted more than 40,000 messages Teixeira sent to gamers on the social media platform Discord about documents, national secrets and his potential to carry out a mass casualty event.
Teixeira’s lawyers have argued that their client was naive and believed the material would not be shared.
On Wednesday, the judge rejected a request by the defense to reconsider his decision to hold the airman without bail indefinitely. Hennessy said Teixeira’s history of threats and leaking made freeing him an unacceptable risk.
Teixeira’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 9.
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