Leak suspect to remain jailed while awaiting trial
A Massachusetts Air National Guard member charged with leaking highly classified military documents will remain behind bars while he awaits trial, a federal magistrate judge ruled Friday.
The ruling comes after prosecutors revealed that 21-year-old Jack Teixeira had a history of violent rhetoric, and was caught by superiors months before his arrest taking notes on classified in- formation or viewing intelligence not related to his job.
In ordering Teixeira to remain locked up, U.S. Magistrate David Hennessy noted that Teixeira was twice confronted by his superiors about his handling of confidential information before his arrest. He said the criminal case represented “a profound breach of the defendant’s word that he would protect information related to the security of the United States.”
“Who did he put at risk? I mean, you could make a list as long as a phone book,” Hennessy said, including military personnel, medical workers overseas and Ukrainian citizens.
Teixeira has been behind bars since his April 13 arrest on charges, under the Espionage Act, of unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information. He has not yet entered a plea.
In urging the judge to keep him behind bars, prosecutors told the judge last month that Teixeira kept an arsenal of guns and had a history of disturbing online statements.
Teixeira said on social media in November in that, if he had his way, he
would like to kill a “ton of people” because it would be “culling the weak minded,” prosecutors said in a court filing.
His lawyers had pressed the judge to release him to his father, saying he has no criminal history and strong family support to ensure he shows up in court. His lawyer said last month that he has “nowhere to flee” and “will answer the charges” against him.
Teixeira is accused of sharing classified military documents on Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games. The stunning breach exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the capabilities and geopolitical interests of other nations and other national security issues.