WORCESTER – The National Guard accused of leaking highly classified military documents to friends via a gaming chat platform, he pleaded not guilty to six counts of intentionally withholding and transmitting classified national defense-related information.
Jack Teixeira, 21, was arraigned in Worcester Federal Court on Wednesday afternoon. He smiled in his family’s direction as they led him out of the courtroom in chains and orange jumpsuits.
The North Dighton man could face up to 60 years in prison for leaking federal documents with “Top Secret” designations on Discord, a social media platform popular with gamers.
The documents that Teixeira is accused of leaking contain sensitive information about the war in Ukraine, among other highly classified documents, between January 2022 and April of this year.
Teixeira had access to the documents because of his position in the Air National Guard, according to court documents.
Teixeira he was arrested on april 13 and is being held without bail awaiting trial. He was indicted by a grand jury in Boston last week on the charges.
A request by Teixeira’s defense team on Wednesday to reconsider the terms of detention was denied by federal judge David Hennessy.
Teixeira is due back in Worcester federal court on August 9.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: National Guardsman Jack Teixeira pleads not guilty in Pentagon leak case