Former US military man sentenced to 15 years in prison for posting classified US military information on Discord

In April 2023, it was widely reported that ' classified US military information was leaked onto the Internet .' Jack Douglas Teixeira, a former National Guardsman who leaked the information, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Office of Public Affairs | Former Air National Guardsman Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Unlawfully Disclosing Classified National Defense Information | United States Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-air-national-guardsman-sentenced-15-years-prison-unlawfully-disclosing-classified

The leak of classified information came to light in a New York Times report on April 6, 2023. The leaked information included 'classified documents describing secret U.S. and NATO plans to support the Ukrainian military' and 'information obtained by intercepting communications within the South Korean government.' Teixeira had posted the classified information on a 'small Discord server,' but it quickly spread after being reposted on larger servers and external services such as 4chan and Telegram.

Leaked US government classified documents were posted on Discord and spread to 4chan and Telegram, and it was also discovered that they included character sheets for TRPGs for some reason - GIGAZINE

The FBI arrested and quickly indicted Teixeira on April 13, 2023, one week after the New York Times report. Teixeira pleaded not guilty immediately after the indictment, but pleaded guilty in March 2024.

Air National Guard man pleads guilty to leaking military secrets to Discord, faces up to 17 years in prison - GIGAZINE

On November 12, 2024, Teixeira was sentenced to 15 years in prison and three years of probation. According to the Department of Justice, Teixeira enlisted in the Air National Guard in September 2019 and was attached to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts. Teixeira served as a member of the Cyber Defense Operations Unit and gained access to information classified as 'Top Secret' and 'Confidential' in 2021. He then began sending classified information to Discord around January 2022.

Teixeira used the base's computers to search for classified information hundreds of times that was unrelated to his job. His superiors had warned him twice not to take notes on classified information and to refrain from 'deep diving' into classified information, but Teixeira continued to leak information. Teixeira also attempted to destroy evidence by destroying his electronic devices and deleting his online accounts just before his arrest.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said, 'Teixeira repeatedly shared classified defense information on social media platforms in an attempt to attract anonymous online friends.' 'Teixeira's serious breach of trust endangered the national security of the United States and our allies. This sentence demonstrates the seriousness of our obligation to protect America's secrets and the safety of the American people.'