A federal judge sentenced Tuesday Pentagon Jack Teixeira, who leaked the secrets, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Teixeria, a 22-year-old Air National Guardsman from Massachusetts. Pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents in March It’s about the war in Ukraine.

Teixeria spoke to the court before sentencing on Tuesday and apologized for his actions: “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for all the harm I’ve done and caused.”

“I understand that all responsibility and consequences fall solely on my shoulders, and I accept everything that this brings,” he added.

Case Against Teixeria

The investigation was first launched in April 2023 after highly classified documents containing details of US intelligence updates, including information on military support for Ukraine, began circulating on social media. The breach sent shockwaves through US national security circles, raising serious concerns about the country’s ability to protect its most sensitive information.

Teixeira, who held a top-secret security clearance as part of his journeyman position in cyber defense operations with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was later identified and accused of uploading hundreds of pages of sensitive information to an online Discord chat room.

As the leaks face embarrassment for the Pentagon, the Biden administration has raced to contain the diplomatic and military fallout. In response, authorities tightened protocols for handling classified material and took disciplinary action against staff who failed to address signs of suspicious behavior by Teixeira.

Provision

Before sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Dolan urged U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to impose a sentence of 200 months — just over 16 1/2 years — arguing that it was appropriate given the “historic” harm caused by Teixeira’s actions . He said the United States benefits its enemies and endangers key allies. Dolan added that the proposed sentence would serve as a warning to other military personnel who might consider similar violations.

“This will be a cautionary tale for men and women around the world. us armyDolan told the court: “They will be told this is what happens if you break your word, if you betray your country… They will know the name of the defendant. They will know the sentence the court will impose.”

Teixeira’s lawyer, Michael Bachrach, argued Tuesday that an 11-year prison sentence would be sufficient.

“This would be an extremely deterrent for everyone, especially young soldiers. This is enough to deter them from committing serious behavior,” Bachrach argued.

Who is Teixeira?

Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in March to six charges of knowingly retaining and transmitting national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act. His plea comes nearly a year after he was arrested in one of the most significant national security leaks in recent years.

The 22-year-old admitted to illegally collecting some of the country’s most sensitive intelligence and sharing it with others via Discord.

At the time Teixeira pleaded guilty, prosecutors said they would push for a sentence at the high end of the sentencing range. But the defense argued in its sentencing memorandum that an 11-year sentence would be “essentially equal to half the life Jack has lived thus far.”

Teixeira’s lawyers described him as an autistic and socially isolated young man who spent most of his time online, particularly within the Discord community. They argued that his actions were criminal but that he had no intention of “harming the United States.” They also stated that he had no previous criminal record.

“Instead, his goal was to educate his friends about world events to ensure they were not misled by false information,” his lawyers wrote. “To Jack, the Ukraine war was his generation’s World War II or Iraq, and he needed someone to share the experience with.”

Teixeira served as a cyber transportation systems specialist with the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, where he was responsible for managing military communications networks.

The leak revealed highly classified U.S. intelligence assessments of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including details on Ukrainian troop movements and the supply of weapons and equipment to Ukrainian forces. Teixeira also admitted to sharing intelligence about a U.S. adversary’s plans to target American troops stationed abroad.

Update 11/24/2017:42 ET: This story has been updated with more information.