Suspect behind leak of Pentagon documents to face dozens of years in prison

Jack Teixeira, 21, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested by the FBI on April 13 in connection with the leaking of classified US intelligence documents revealing government secrets about the Ukraine war that have been posted online.

Teixeira could face separate charges for each document leaked, with a conviction carrying a prison sentence of up to 10 years per count, according to The New York Times.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland’s description indicates that Teixeira will be facing charges under 18 U.S.C. 793, also known as the Espionage Act.

It criminalizes the unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of closely held documents related to the national defense that could be used to harm the United States or aid a foreign adversary. Each such document would be its own charge; a conviction carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison per count.

Teixeira was arrested in connection with the “unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information,” Garland said.

Teixeira oversaw an online Discord group named Thug Shaker Central, where about 20 to 30 people, mostly young men and teenagers, came together over a shared love of guns, racist online memes and video games.

Starting months ago, the authorities say, one of the users of the online group uploaded hundreds of pages of intelligence briefings into the small chat group, lecturing its members, who had bonded during the isolation of the pandemic, on the importance of staying abreast of world events.