Former member of the US National Guard Jack Teisher has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for disclosing secret military information via the Discord platform.
The 22-year-old employee of the 102nd reconnaissance wing at the Plotis base in Massachusetts joined the service in September 2019. Initially involved in cyber protection, he later accessed materials beyond his clearance level. Teisher proceeded to share this classified data online, including on Discord, where he actively participated in gaming chats.
The leaked information included US and NATO plans, details on UK and US military personnel engaged in operations, and insights into the Chinese drone program. Prosecutors highlighted the “severe damage” caused to US national security by Teisher’s actions, noting that he disclosed secrets to impress online friends and boost his ego.
An investigation uncovered that Teisher initially transcribed classified information by hand before transitioning to printing documents using a little-used printer. In his spare time, he managed a Discord server with approximately 25 members engaging in discussions on mass atrocities and political crimes.
Despite awareness of the illicit nature of his activities and regular training on handling classified data, Teisher persisted in uploading information online. The breach came to light when the documents spread beyond Discord to other servers, 4chan, and other platforms, with some files deliberately altered to worsen the situation.
Following the media coverage of the leak, Teisher attempted to cover his tracks by urging chat participants to delete materials, then deleting his account and disposing of hard drives found in a trash bin near his residence. His arrest took place in April 2023 after Discord provided investigators with Teisher’s location.
Teisher pleaded guilty to six counts of illegally storing and disseminating classified national security information. A federal court in Boston sentenced him to 15 years in prison and 3 years of probation. FBI Director Christopher Ray warned that the punishment should serve as a deterrent to anyone with access to sensitive information, emphasizing that betraying trust will lead to severe repercussions.