The FBI arrested Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira on Thursday for allegedly leaking classified and top secret documents about U.S. national security issues around the globe.
Teixeira, 21, was charged under the Espionage Act during an appearance in Boston Federal Court Friday morning. Here’s what we know about his life in Massachusetts:
He missed his high school graduation ceremony
Teixeira graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School in summer 2020, writing in his yearbook caption that he was headed into the Massachusetts Air National Guard and a quote: “Actions speak louder than words.”
The high school released Teixeira’s academic record, showing he was a B student overall, receiving a B+ in his senior year American Government class and a B in the course entitled “You and the Law.” His disciplinary record showed two offenses: a suspension in his freshman year for disturbing a school assembly and three detentions his senior year for leaving school out of a library window.
Teixeira missed his graduation ceremony to attend basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, as reported by the New York Times, but in October 2021 he returned to Massachusetts on active duty as part of the Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing.
He was recently promoted
Teixeira was promoted to airman first class in July 2022, almost a year after he had been promoted to airman, according to a series of Facebook posts from the 102nd Intelligence Wing that congratulated promotees. “Congratulations to some of the 102nd Intelligence Wing’s most recent promotees! Way to go!!!” read a post from July 7, 2022.
He held a top security clearance
According to court documents, Teixeira held top security clearance since 2021. To acquire that clearance, Teixeira would have had to sign a binding lifetime non-disclosure agreement. Violation of such an agreements can result in criminal charges. Teixeira had access to classified military intelligence through a Defense Department computer network known as the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, according to the Washington Post.
His mother worked in state government, and his stepfather was in the military
Dawn Dufault was the former CEO of Students Against Destructive Decisions, a nonprofit focused on “empowering and mobilizing students and adult allies to engage in positive change through leadership and smart decision-making.”
Dufault also worked for the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund and Home for Our Troops, and briefly for the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Teixeira’s stepfather had a 34-year military career as a master sergeant in the same unit as Teixeira, the 102nd Intelligence Wing.
His family home is a farm and flower company
Teixeira lived on Maple Street in North Dighton, which is where the FBI arrested him on Thursday. The home belongs to his mother, who owns Bayberry Farm and Flower Co., a “family-owned and independent local flower shop.”
He recently worked on a base in Cape Cod
Teixeira’s mother told the New York Times her son had recently worked overnight shifts at a military base on Cape Cod. She said he had recently changed his cellphone number.
