Jack Texeira, the suspected Pentagon leaker accused of releasing confidential intelligence files online and discussing ‘murder’ online, is to remain in jail.
It comes after a judge in Worcester, Massachusetts failed to reach a decision at a detention hearing earlier.
The National Guardsman allegedly posted secret memos in an Internet chat room that touched upon the war in Ukraine, but also U.S. ties with key allies such as Israel.
Prosecutors had argued he should be forced to stay in custody until he goes on trial on federal charges of deliberately leaking the classified government documents.
A filing made by lawyers for the prosecution said the 21-year-old has spoken of ‘violence and murder’ and ‘an assassination van’ in some of his online chats.
But Judge David Hennessy slammed defense arguments that the government hasn’t shown Teixeira ever intended leaked information to be widely disseminated.
‘Somebody under the age of 30 has no idea that when they put something on the internet it could end up anywhere in this world?’ the judge asked. ‘Seriously?’
The filing also contained a November 2022 social media post about how Teixeira would ‘kill an (expletive) ton of people’ if he had his way.
He referred to it as ‘culling the weak-minded.’
Prosecutors also claimed he should stay behind bars because he may have more files to release.
You have a young man before you who didn’t flee, has nowhere to flee,’ said Brendan Kelley, the defendant’s lawyer. He will answer the charges, he will be judged by his fellow citizens.’
Teixeira entered his hearing in Worcester in orange prison garb, smiling at his father in the front row.
His handcuffs were removed before he sat down and put back on when he was taken out.
According to the charge sheet, Teixeira received top security clearance in 2021 as a member of the National Guard.
FBI investigators arrested him without incident in Dighton, Massachusetts earlier this month in a raid on his mother’s house.
Agents found that he kept his gun locker within reach of his bed and in it were handguns, bolt-action rifles, shotguns, and a gas mask.
Teixeira posted the treasure trove of top secret files under his online user name ‘Jack the Dripper’ for months before the leak was uncovered.
He worked as a junior cyber security specialist in the intelligence unit based at the Otis Air National Guard Base in western Cape Cod.
It is believed to have started on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games.
Teixeira posted about guns, games and top-secret US government information but some of his fellow chatroom members reported his activities to investigators.
It alleged that the 21-year-old used his government computer to search classified intelligence reporting for the word ‘leak’ on April 6.
That was the day when the first stories broke about the huge security breach.
Prosecutors claim he searched the term to establish whether US intelligence had information on the identity of the person behind the leaks.
This document appears to show the state of Ukraine’s air defenses in February and May, when it is anticipated they’ll be badly depleted
He was identified as the ringleader of a chatroom, known as Thug Shaker Central, on Discord.
He then allegedly posted images of folded-up papers because he felt his writings weren’t being taken seriously, the Associated Press reported.
Officials at the US Justice Department have opened a probe into the 21-year-old, whose actions embarrassed US allies around the world.
Long-standing friends of Washington from Britain to South Korea and Israel slammed much of the information as bogus.
It outlined possible arms deliveries to Ukraine, as well as details of Western-led training for the Ukrainian armed forces.
The 21-year-old’s actions have been roundly criticized by lawmakers from all political parties.
