Prosecutors are calling for 17-year prison sentences for air guardsmen over leaks about the Ukraine war

U.S. prosecutors are seeking a nearly 17-year prison sentence for Jack Douglas Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who pleaded guilty to leaking classified military documents.

They describe his actions as “one of the most significant and consequential violations of the Espionage Act in American history.”

Teixeira, 22, was arrested in April 2023 after authorities discovered he had posted classified national defense information on the social media platform Discord.

Teixeira pleaded guilty in March to six counts of intentionally storing and disclosing national defense information under the Espionage Act.

The leak revealed secret assessments of Russia's war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine and the supply of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops.

Teixeira also admitted to publishing information about a U.S. adversary's plans to harm U.S. forces stationed abroad.

Prosecutors argue that he “violated his oath almost every day for over a year” and caused “extraordinarily grave harm to the national security of the United States.”

In response, Teixeira's defense attorneys have argued for an 11-year prison sentence, highlighting his difficulties.

In their sentencing memorandum, they argue that Teixeira was a young, socially awkward person who turned to an online community to socialize.

“[Jack] is autistic and was isolated. His world was online — playing video games, posting memes and making deep friendships he was never able to make in high school,” the defense wrote.

“He was just 20 years old when he started sharing classified information with his friends on Discord and was only 21 when he was arrested. His intention was never to harm the United States. Instead, he wanted to educate his friends about world events to ensure they were not misled by misinformation.”

The defense memorandum alleges that Teixeira struggled with social interactions and relied on online communities to find companionship. In it he is portrayed as a young man with significant limitations in social development who was obsessed with passing on what he believed to be important information about world events, particularly the war in Ukraine.

“Emotionally, Jack was and is severely affected by his disability; He was barely older than his teenage friends and made a terrible decision that he repeated for 14 months,” the defense said.

They also said Teixeira had “taken full responsibility for the wrongfulness of his actions,” noting that he had participated in a debriefing with the intelligence community and expressed a willingness to answer further questions about his conduct.

But prosecutors reject the defense's arguments, saying Teixeira “does not suffer from a mental disability that prevents him from knowing right from wrong.” They emphasize that he “knew he was violating federal law when he did “Published secret national defense information on Discord.”

Prosecutors also said he tried to cover his tracks before his arrest and that authorities found a smashed tablet, laptop and Xbox gaming console in a dumpster at his home.

“Regardless of the developmental or social difficulties that Teixeira faced, his decision to illegally disclose national defense information and put other people's lives at risk was a conscious decision that he made again and again consciously, deliberately and with the full awareness of the consequences,” prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors contend that a significant sentence is necessary to reflect the seriousness of the crime and deter others from similar acts.

Teixeira was part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, where he worked as a cyber transport systems specialist. He remains in the Air National Guard without pay, an Air Force official said.

Authorities said Teixeira typed up classified documents he had accessed and then began sharing photos of files marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET.”

The leaks forced the Pentago to do son Tighten controls to protect classified information and discipline members found to have willfully failed to take necessary actions related to Teixeira's suspicious behavior.

Teixeiras Sentencing is scheduled for November 12 before Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From the Epoch Times