Jack Teixeira, a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who disclosed US military information online, pleaded guilty in federal court.
According to AFP, Teixeira pleaded guilty to six charges related to the retention and transmission of classified information in exchange for federal prosecutors seeking a 16-year and eight-month prison sentence and the dropping of espionage charges against him.
As part of the deal, Teixeira faces up to 16 years and 8 months in prison and a $50,000 fine, as well as the return of all classified material in his possession and assistance to intelligence officials in evaluating the information he leaked.
Teixeira was arrested in Massachusetts in April on charges of leaking classified US Department of Defense (Pentagon) documents, some related to the war in Ukraine.
If Jack Teixeira had not reached a plea deal with the prosecution, he would have faced life imprisonment under the Espionage Act.
When the judge asked him if he had any objections to the evidence, Teixeira replied in the negative.
To another question about whether he knew the documents were classified, he replied, “Yes, your honor.”
Teixeira posted the documents he was able to obtain, some of which date back to early March 2023, on the Discord platform.
Some files were later shared on other platforms, including Twitter, 4chan and Telegram.
The leaked documents included details of deaths and injuries between Russian and Ukrainian forces, updates on the activities of US intelligence agencies in Moscow and assistance to Ukraine.
It was also revealed that the US was spying on its allies Israel and South Korea.
This was considered the biggest breach of its kind since Edward Snowden leaked National Security Agency documents in 2013.
At the same time, it raised questions about the ability of Teixeira and other junior employees to access high-level secrets.
Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 in an operation broadcast live on television networks.
