A The US Air Force is preparing a new indictment of Portuguese-born Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, accused of improperly disclosing classified information.
The decision comes two months after the 22-year-old accepted a 16-year prison sentence for disclosing US national security secrets, pleading guilty to six counts of “intentionally retaining and disseminating classified information”. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to prosecute him on additional charges under the Espionage Act.
Now, according to an Air Force spokesman, Teixeira will be the target of military criminal proceedings for alleged violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“Following close coordination with the Department of Justice, the Air Force has determined that separate and distinct charges should be filed against A1C Jack Teixeira for misconduct related to his military duties.”The spokesperson told US station ABC News that the allegations included failure to obey a lawful order and obstruction of justice.
In the first indictment, the Air Force alleges that Teixeira Disobeyed the order to “cease and cease access to information not relevant to his duties.”.
Second, he claims to have Portuguese ancestry An iPod, a computer hard drive and a cell phone were also disposed of “has reason to believe that criminal proceedings are pending or pending against the defendant with intent to obstruct the due administration of justice in his case.”
The Air Force also accused Teixeira He instructed another person to delete the Discord messages he had sent on April 7, 2023, “with intent to obstruct the due administration of justice in his own case”.
A hearing is scheduled for May 14 at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts.
It's important to note that the leaks caused the Pentagon to strengthen its mechanisms to protect classified information and take disciplinary action against members who deliberately did not take the necessary steps regarding Teixeira's suspicious behavior.
The Portuguese-born man admitted to illegally collecting military secrets and sharing them with other users on Discord, a social media site popular among online game players.
Teixeira, who was part of the 102nd Information Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, worked as an Internet Transportation Systems Specialist. He was an IT specialist in charge of military communications networks.
The leak exposed the world's secret assessments of Russia's war in Ukraine, geopolitical capabilities and interests of other countries, and other national security issues.
Also read: Lusodescendant Jack Teixeira accepts 16-year prison sentence
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