The individual responsible for the information leak that has caused distress to the United States and its partners has been identified as Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Air National Guard. He went by the name “OG” in the Thug Shaker Central online chatroom on Discord, a social media site frequently used by gamers. He is now being prosecuted for violating the Espionage Act. Mr. Teixeira graduated from North Dighton, Massachusetts‘ high school in 2020.
One year prior, he joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard, which is a reserve division of the US Air Force. He enlisted in the 102nd Intelligence Wing. Last July, he was promoted to Airman 1st Class, a lower-level position, while stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base in west Cape Cod. His service record indicates that he holds the position of Cyber Transport Systems journeyman.
According to the Air Force’s website, individuals who work in Cyber Transport Systems positions are accountable for managing the Air Force’s worldwide communication network. As per records, there is no indication of Mr Teixeira ever being deployed overseas. However, his family has a military background, and his stepfather served for 34 years before retiring as a master sergeant from the same unit as Mr Teixeira, which is the 102nd Intelligence Wing, as reported by the Washington Post.
According to public records and LinkedIn, it has been reported by US media outlets that Mr Teixeira’s mother had previously held positions in non-profit organizations that focused on assisting veterans, as well as at the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services. In commemoration of Veterans Day, she would post pictures of her family every year. Social media posts also indicate that Mr Teixeira enjoyed spending time with his family’s two dogs and riding all-terrain vehicles. Additionally, it has been said that he was regarded as the head of a Discord chatroom that was exclusive to invited members and was created in 2020.
About 20 to 30 individuals, primarily young men from different nations, were part of Thug Shaker Central. As per The Washington Post, the group exchanged “memes, derogatory jokes, and casual conversations,” watched movies, and prayed together. A chatroom member stated that Mr. Teixeira was a young and charming individual with an interest in guns. Some members claimed that Mr. Teixeira was older than the group’s average age and seemed to be trying to impress them.
A source informed the New York Times that the individual in question was highly regarded and revered, earning a reputation as a legendary figure. The Post reported that Teixeira disclosed his place of employment, which had strict rules prohibiting the use of phones. He is said to have utilized multiple online aliases, including TheExcaliburEffect, jackdjdtex, and TexKilledYou.
According to reports, the individual had initially written different versions of the confidential data and posted them in the chatroom. However, due to the lack of interest shown by other members, he apparently started sharing images of the files. The Washington Post stated that he even sent a furious message to the group once, expressing his dissatisfaction towards their preference for YouTube videos over the sensitive information.
According to an unnamed member of the group, the individual who shared the documents expressed frustration and threatened to stop sending them if others did not engage with them. A teenager in the same group speculated that the person, who was described as a Christian and anti-war, simply wanted to share information with friends. The New York Times reported these details.
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