A federal grand jury in Boston has indicted Jack Douglas Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, on charges related to the retention and transmission of classified national defense information on a popular social media platform.
The indictment includes six counts alleging that Teixeira willfully retained and transmitted classified information pertaining to national defense, according to a Department of Justice press release.
Teixeira, a 21-year-old resident of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was arrested on April 13, 2023, following a criminal complaint that accused him of the unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information, as well as the unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials.
Teixeira enlisted in the U.S. Air National Guard in September 2019 and acquired a Top Secret security clearance in 2021, according to the indictment. The indictment alleges that starting from approximately January 2022, Teixeira knowingly and unlawfully retained and transmitted national defense information classified as “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET,” as well as Sensitive Compartmented Information, to individuals without authorization to receive such information.
Department of Justice leadership commented on the gravity of the charges and the importance of the special trust placed in Teixeira as a guardsman in written statements.
“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,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “Teixeira is charged with sharing information with users on a social media platform he knew were not entitled to receive it. In doing so, he is alleged to have violated U.S. law and endangered our national security.”
“Individuals granted security clearances are entrusted to protect classified information and safeguard our nation’s secrets. The allegations in today’s indictment reveal a serious violation of that trust,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray, echoing Garland’s sentiment. “The FBI and our partners remain firm in our commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our national security and the security of our allies around the world.”
“The unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security. Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens, and its allies,” said Joshua S. Levy, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “We are committed to ensuring that those entrusted with sensitive national security information adhere to the law.”
The FBI Boston and Washington Field Offices are leading the investigation, with assistance provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Prosecution of the case will be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Jared C. Dolan, and Jason A. Casey for the District of Massachusetts, along with Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, according to the DOJ press release.
Each charge of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
