Jack Teixeira, a former IT specialist with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for leaking a significant number of classified Pentagon documents, according to US media reports.
Teixeira, who posted the documents on Discord, ignited the largest US intelligence leak since Edward Snowden’s disclosures in 2013.
The documents revealed US concerns over Ukraine’s military strength and showed that Washington had reportedly spied on key allies like Israel and South Korea. Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 and pleaded guilty in March to six counts of unauthorized retention and transmission of US defence information.
Addressing the court before sentencing, Teixeira expressed remorse, stating, “I wanted to say that I’m sorry for all of the harm that I’ve brought and that I’ve caused, and that I don’t think I can really sum up how contrite I am.”
His family members were present in court during the proceedings. In addition to his federal sentence, he will also face a military trial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
