Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who was accused of leaking dozens of intelligence documents to the online gaming service Discord, was indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of retaining and transmitting classified national defense material, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday.
Why it matters: Teixeira, a 21-year-old from North Dighton, Massachusetts, was arrested by FBI agents in April and faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count, per the DOJ.
- The leaked materials included revelations about the U.S. government's relations with its adversaries and allies, such as its efforts to gather intelligence on Ukraine’s government, Russia and allies Israel and South Korea.
- He has remained in federal custody after federal prosecutors accused him of being an ongoing national security risk and presented evidence that he had researched mass shootings in the past.
What they're saying: "As laid out in the indictment, Jack Teixeira was entrusted by the United States government with access to classified national defense information — including information that reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if shared," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement Thursday.
- FBI Director Christopher Wray said Teixeira's alleged handling of the classified material was "a serious violation" of the airman's security clearance.
The big picture: Prosecutors said in a previous court filing that Teixeira received multiple warnings against accessing classified intelligence information that did not pertain to his primary duties.
- He enlisted in the Air National Guard in September 2019 and was granted a Top Secret security clearance since 2021.
- The Justice Department alleged that he began disseminating classified materials bearing "SECRET," "TOP SECRET" and other classification markings onto Discord in 2022.
Go deeper: Gamers keep leaking sensitive military info
