Jack Teixeira, the young soldier suspected of having disseminated numerous secret documents on the internet, particularly on the war in Ukraine, leaks which embarrassed Washington, saw the list of charges against him grow longer on Thursday .
A Boston-based federal grand jury indicted him on six new charges of “willfully preserving and transmitting classified information relating to national defense,” each carrying a sentence of up to ten years in prison.
In the United States, a grand jury is a panel of citizens with broad investigative powers.
In April, the 21-year-old Air National Guard recruit had already been charged with “unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information” and “unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials.” “, facts respectively punishable by ten and five years in prison.
Justice Minister Merrick Garland has promised to seek “very heavy sentences” against him.
The images of the arrest of Jack Teixeira by the federal police (FBI), on April 13 outside his family home in Dighton, south of Boston, had been around the world, a few days after the revelations of these leaks in the American press.
Based on a base on Cape Cod, near Boston, where he held a role as a computer and communication specialist, he is accused of having published classified information on a discussion group of the social network Discord, which circulated by the continued on other social networks.
The secret documents had notably revealed the concerns of the American intelligence services as to the viability of a Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces. They also suggested that Washington collect intelligence on its closest allies, including Israel and South Korea.
The case embarrassed Washington and raised questions about possible security breaches, while the young soldier had a secret defense clearance, allowing him access to this sensitive information, despite his low rank.
06/16/2023 03:39:55 – New York (AFP) – © 2023 AFP