The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, who pled guilty earlier this year to leaking highly sensitive intelligence reports and other material on social media, has reportedly been urged by US Air Force prosecutors to face additional charges.
Air Force prosecutors requested that a hearing officer prescribe charges of violating an order and obstructing justice against Jack Teixeira under the Uniform Code of Military Justice during a hearing held on Tuesday at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts.
The 22-year-old Teixeira was taken into custody in April 2023 and had pleaded guilty to all six charges brought against him under the Espionage Act in March. The prosecution has stated its intention to request a prison term exceeding sixteen years from the judge. A federal court will decide the final punishment in September.
The Air Force is planning to seek additional charges under the UCMJ, according to a story from earlier this month by AWN. In their defense, the Air Force claimed that Teixiera should face criminal charges under the UCMJ in addition to those from the Department of Justice for admitting to leaking sensitive documents while he was on active duty orders.
According to the prosecution, Teixeira was employed at a Cape Cod airbase when he allegedly posted classified comments in a Discord group named “Thug Shaker Central” and then shared photographs of sensitive documents.
Among the many classified materials examined by AWN were direct evaluations of the situation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. A document describing a “plot by a foreign adversary to target United States forces abroad” and details regarding an unnamed US company’s stolen accounts were purportedly also provided by Teixeira.
An Article 32 hearing took place on Tuesday, during which prosecutors submitted evidence before a preliminary hearing officer. The officer will also take into account the points put up by Teixeira and his defense team. Three military defense attorneys, including one of the Air Force’s chief district defense attorneys, represented Teixeira, according to an Air Force official.
After that, the hearing officer will suggest whether the suggested charges should be continued or amended. The recommendation is made to Maj. Gen. Daniel DeVoe, who is the General Courts-Martial Convening Authority.
The suggestion is not binding on DeVoe, and he is not required to make a decision by a certain date.