A member of the U.S. Air National Guard (USANG) stationed in Massachusetts has been indicted for unlawfully retaining and transmitting classified national defense information on a social media platform. Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, faces six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense. Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 and remains in federal custody.
The indictment alleges that Teixeira, who held a Top Secret security clearance, willfully retained and transmitted classified information classified as "TOP SECRET" or "SECRET" and/or Sensitive Compartmented Information on a social media platform to unauthorized recipients. The charges state that Teixeira accessed classified documents from a classified workstation at the Otis USANG Base and transcribed and transmitted the information in written form to other users on the social media platform. Additionally, he posted images of classified documents, bearing standard classification markings, on the same platform.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the gravity of the charges, stating that Teixeira violated U.S. law and endangered national security by sharing classified information with unauthorized individuals. FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed the commitment of the FBI and its partners to hold accountable those who endanger national security, while Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy stressed the importance of safeguarding classified information entrusted to individuals.
Each charge of unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The case is being investigated by the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Trial Attorneys from the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
It is essential to remember that a criminal complaint is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment