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The story of a 22-year-old Pentagon employee who went from cyberdefender to traitor.
Former member of the US Air Force National Guard Jack Teixeira has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing and divulging classified military information through the Discord platform.
The 22-year-old member of the 102nd Reconnaissance Wing at Ottis Base in Massachusetts joined the service in September 2019. During the early years of his career, he worked in cyber defense, but later began to view material that he did not have access to by security clearance. Subsequently, Teixeira began to publish this data on the Internet, including on Discord, where he was an active participant in game chats.
Among the information published were US and NATO plans, data on UK and US employees involved in military operations, as well as details of the Chinese drone program. Prosecutors noted that Teixeira's actions caused "exceptionally serious damage" to US national security. Court documents emphasized that Teixeira published classified data to impress his Internet friends and amuse his ego.
The investigation found that Teixeira first copied classified data manually, and then moved on to printing documents on a rarely used printer. In his spare time, he administered his Discord server with about 25 members, where the topics of massacres and political crimes were discussed.
Despite the awareness of the illegality of his actions and regular training in the department on the rules of working with classified information, Teixeira continued to post data on the Internet. The leak caught the attention of the general public when the documents began to circulate outside of Discord — first on other servers, then on 4chan and other platforms. In some files, the data was deliberately distorted, which only made the situation worse.
After the leak hit the media, Teixeira tried to cover his tracks: he called on the chat participants to delete all materials, and then deleted his account and destroyed hard drives, which were later found in a garbage can near his house. The arrest took place in April 2023 after Discord handed over Teixeira's address to the investigating authorities.
Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of illegal storage and transfer of classified information related to national security. A federal court in Boston sentenced Teixeira to 15 years in prison and 3 years of probation. FBI Director Christopher Wray said the verdict should be a warning to anyone with access to classified information: "Betrayal of trust will have serious consequences".
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Former member of the US Air Force National Guard Jack Teixeira has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing and divulging classified military information through the Discord platform.
The 22-year-old member of the 102nd Reconnaissance Wing at Ottis Base in Massachusetts joined the service in September 2019. During the early years of his career, he worked in cyber defense, but later began to view material that he did not have access to by security clearance. Subsequently, Teixeira began to publish this data on the Internet, including on Discord, where he was an active participant in game chats.
Among the information published were US and NATO plans, data on UK and US employees involved in military operations, as well as details of the Chinese drone program. Prosecutors noted that Teixeira's actions caused "exceptionally serious damage" to US national security. Court documents emphasized that Teixeira published classified data to impress his Internet friends and amuse his ego.
The investigation found that Teixeira first copied classified data manually, and then moved on to printing documents on a rarely used printer. In his spare time, he administered his Discord server with about 25 members, where the topics of massacres and political crimes were discussed.
Despite the awareness of the illegality of his actions and regular training in the department on the rules of working with classified information, Teixeira continued to post data on the Internet. The leak caught the attention of the general public when the documents began to circulate outside of Discord — first on other servers, then on 4chan and other platforms. In some files, the data was deliberately distorted, which only made the situation worse.
After the leak hit the media, Teixeira tried to cover his tracks: he called on the chat participants to delete all materials, and then deleted his account and destroyed hard drives, which were later found in a garbage can near his house. The arrest took place in April 2023 after Discord handed over Teixeira's address to the investigating authorities.
Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of illegal storage and transfer of classified information related to national security. A federal court in Boston sentenced Teixeira to 15 years in prison and 3 years of probation. FBI Director Christopher Wray said the verdict should be a warning to anyone with access to classified information: "Betrayal of trust will have serious consequences".
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