The Massachusetts Air National Guard tech support member responsible for “one of the most significant leaks of classified documents and information in United States history” will spend a decade and a half behind bars.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani sentenced Jack Teixeira to 180 months, which is 15 years, in federal prison at a sentencing hearing in federal court in Boston’s Seaport on Tuesday afternoon. She also ordered, among other conditions, that he enter a mental health treatment program and barred him from taking any jobs where he would have access to sensitive government materials. She did not impose a fine because he did not have the resources to pay a fine.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for all the harm I’ve wrought and I’ve caused,” Teixeira, wearing an orange Plymouth County Correctional Facility jumpsuit, said before Talwani delivered her sentence.
“I can’t really sum up how contrite I am that my behavior has caused such a maelstrom,” the 22-year-old continued, “affecting my family and everyone overseas. I understand that all of the responsibility and consequences come on my shoulders alone and I accept whatever that will bring. I’m at your mercy, your honor.”
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Teixeira, of Dighton, was arrested in April 2023 and pleaded guilty in March to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act.
Teixeira, who served as a Cyber Defense Operations Journeyman at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, leaked more than 40 highly classified military documents, including many regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, to a cadre of fellow video game players on the social media platform Discord.
He was looking at a maximum of more than 16 years for his crimes, if Talwani had followed the plea agreement, which she wasn’t bound by in calculating sentencing. Teixeira entered the plea agreement in late February and finalized with his guilty pleas days later on March 4.
Boston FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen called Teixeira “a textbook example of an insider threat.”
“His actions compromised military plans, sources and methods, and allowed our most significant adversaries access to some of our most closely guarded intelligence,” she continued in a press conference following sentencing.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy at the same press conference said that the “heavy price” of the sentence “sends a powerful message to every individual who holds a top secret clearance.”
“I expect that starting tomorrow, Jack Teixeira’s name will be mentioned when people are trained about the gravity of a top secret clearance and the consequences if you leak information,” Levy said.
Sentencing arguments
The federal prosecutor, Jared Dolan, in arguing for a sentence of 200 months, called Teixeira’s crimes “exceptionally serious” and compared his actions to those of Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. He said that the sentence should be large enough to be a huge deterrent to anyone else who is considering such disclosures.
“Our military is built on a backbone of people his age and younger,” Dolan said. “And we trust that the training for those individuals put them in a place to succeed and that’s what they do every single day.”
“The defendants job was to not tell anyone else, what he promised to not tell anyone else,” he continued. “Youthful brains make impulsive decisions, but this was not an impulsive decision and if it was then it was an impulsive decision that he made every day for more than a year.”
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Talwani spoke at length about her thought process on sentencing a crime for which there was “very little case law.”
“It seems to me that this is not one harm, this is multiple harms,” Talwani said when arguing that she disagreed with the plea agreement’s argument that the crimes could be grouped. She compared it to rape or robbery, to where even if the victim remained the same each new offense was a different crime.
“Yes the victim is the same here, the victim is the United States,” she continued. “But I don’t know how you can say it’s the same if he did it for one month instead of 13 months. … Each time you are creating a new risk, each time is new information, new disclosure.”
In sentencing memos filed last month, the defense recommended a sentence of 11 years whereas the prosecution recommended a sentence of 16 years and eight months, citing not only the need for Teixeira’s adequate punishment but to deter anyone else from even considering similar actions.
Defense attorney Michael Bachrach argued that Teixeira had no intention whatsoever to harm the United States, and that “motive matters.”
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Unlike Manning and Snowden, who each chose to disclose secrets with purpose, Bachrach argued that Teixeira’s “truly bad decision making” was built on both his youth and his autism and wanting to find a community.
“What he cared about was having a community to speak to because he didn’t have that community at Otis Air Base,” Bachrach said, adding that his recommended sentence of 11 years is “significant” and is more time than half of the defendant’s life at the time of the crimes.
Talwani took some exception with Bachrach’s argument but did agree that she was leaning toward a downward departure based on Teixeira’s age.
Margaret Small via AP, File
This artist depiction shows Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, right, appearing in U.S. District Court in Boston, April 14, 2023. (Margaret Small via AP, File)
AP photo
Jack Teixeira of Dighton is taken into custody in April 2023. (AP photo)
HE HAD DOWN THERE IN THE STORE THOUGH. PERFECT. WE ARE TRACKING SOME SHOWERS OUT THERE. GOT A LITTLE LOUD A FEW SPOTS. WE DID HAVE SOME THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, ESPECIALLY WEST AND MOVING OUT THROUGH METRO WEST INTO WORCESTER COUNTY AND HEADING NORTH OF BOSTON. NOT SEEING MUCH OF THAT ANYMORE. SO AT THIS POINT, WE’RE JUST TRACKING THESE SHOWERS AND THEY’RE FOLLOWING A TRACK SOUTHWARD. SO SOUTH OF BOSTON WE DIDN’T SEE MUCH ACTION EARLIER THIS EVENING. YOU’RE NOW SEEING YOUR CHANCE. WE HAVE SOME SHOWERS EXTENDING FROM PLYMOUTH RIGHT OUT THROUGH TODD AND TOWARD PROVIDENCE. AND THIS WILL CONTINUE ON A TRACK SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE SOUTH COAST, CAPE AND ISLANDS, WHERE WE DID NOT SEE MUCH IN THE WAY OF RAIN EARLIER. MOVING FROM THE MASS PIKE NORTH. THAT’S WHERE THE FOCUS OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS EARLIER TODAY. WE DID GET CLOSE TO HALF AN INCH MOVING FROM ROUTE TWO NORTHWARD, SO THAT’S OUR HEAVIEST SPOTS. BUT WE DID HAVE SOME THUNDERSTORMS AT THIS POINT. STORMS ARE OVER. SHOWERS CONTINUE TO SHIFT SHOWERS SOUTH. AND AS THEY DO SO WE’LL SEE PARTIAL CLEARING OF THE CLOUDS AS WE MOVE TOWARDS SUNRISE. SO I EXPECT WE’LL SEE A REALLY BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE HERE TOMORROW MORNING. IF YOU’RE A LATE NIGHT TRAVELER THOUGH, HITTING THE ROADS AFTER ALL THIS RAIN THAT MOVED THROUGH, PLEASE BE AWARE THERE IS THAT CHANCE FOR SOME PATCHY FOG AND THAT COULD SLOW YOU DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN A FEW SPOTS. WE’RE LOOKING AHEAD TO A FEW ROUNDS OF SHOWERS IN THE DAYS AHEAD. NEXT THREAT FOR SHOWERS TOMORROW COULD CONTAIN SOME NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. AND THEN WE’RE KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO FLUCTUATE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S. SATURDAY LITTLE WARMER SUNDAY IN THE MID 60S, BUT THAT COMES WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. LOOK AT THESE HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WE GOT UP TO 78 IN BOSTON. THAT IS THE WARMEST WE HAVE BEEN ALL YEAR. IN FACT, THIS IS THE WARMEST WE HAVE FELT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER OF 2025. SO IT’S BEEN SOME TIME. WE HAD MID 80S FOR OUR INLAND SPOTS. WE GOT TO 86 DEGREES IN FITCHBURG. A REAL FEEL OF SUMMER THIS AFTERNOON. WE’RE NOW FALLING INTO THE UPPER 50S LOW 60S, BUT WITH AVERAGE HIGH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 50S FOR US TO SEE AS WE’RE APPROACHING 1030 THIS EVENING, TEMPERATURES THAT ARE ABOVE THAT POINT, THAT IS A VERY WARM EVENING FOR APRIL STANDARDS FOR SURE. SO SHOWERS CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHWARD. WE’LL SEE THEM MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTH COAST, CAPE AND ISLANDS AS WE TRAVEL TOWARD MIDNIGHT, I THINK SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WE’LL SEE MOST LOCATIONS DRYING OUT. PARTIAL CLEARING. WE’RE DROPPING INTO THE 50S. WE’RE MOVING INTO TOMORROW WITH SUN TO START, BUT I DO EXPECT THOSE CLOUDS WILL RETURN IN THE AFTERNOON WITH THAT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND PERHAPS EVEN A FEW RUMBLES OF THUNDER. NOTICE FOR BOSTON FORECAST. WE’RE TOPPING OUT IN THE 60S. TOMORROW IT’S INLAND WHERE WE HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF HITTING THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT COOLER TOWARD THE OUTER CAPE AND NANTUCKET, WHERE 50S WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT. YOU SEE A SHOWER OR TWO AROUND NOON TOMORROW, BUT I’M GOING TO FAST FORWARD TOWARD THE 5:00 HOUR. SO IT’S REALLY BETWEEN 4 TO 8 P.M. WHERE WE SEE THE BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS. AND YES, THERE IS THAT CHANCE FOR SOME NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME THUNDER. THERE MIGHT BE SOME LIGHTNING, COULD GET WINDY AT TIMES. WE’RE NOT LOOKING AT ANYTHING THAT SHOULD BE DAMAGING AS THAT COMES TO AN END AROUND 8 TO 10 P.M., WE SHOULD SEE THINGS FIZZLING OUT OVERNIGHT. SEVEN DAY FORECAST SHOWS US CLEARING OUT AS WE MOVE TOWARDS SATURDAY, BUT ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN AS WE MOVE TOWARDS SUNDAY. MARATHON MONDAY. COOL, BUT THE CHANCE OF RAIN DIMINISHES THROUGHOUT THE
Wednesday in the Boston area and across Massachusetts stays unseasonably warm with a mix of clouds and some sun, with highs well above normal for mid-April. Shower chances increase Thursday and Friday, leading into a cooler, more seasonable pattern by the weekend.StormTeam 5’s 7-day forecast:• Wednesday: Mix of sun and clouds, mild with 60s at the coast and northeast Massachusetts. High of 78.• Thursday: Mix of clouds with spot showers. High of 76.• Friday: Chance for showers with mostly cloudy skies. High of 71.• Saturday: Seasonable with a mix of sun and clouds (Boston Marathon weekend). High of 59.• Sunday: Partly sunny with showers likely in the afternoon. High of 65.• Monday: Early showers, then turning cool and breezy. High of 52.• Tuesday: Cool with sunshine. High of 50.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. —
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Wednesday in the Boston area and across Massachusetts stays unseasonably warm with a mix of clouds and some sun, with highs well above normal for mid-April.
Shower chances increase Thursday and Friday, leading into a cooler, more seasonable pattern by the weekend.
StormTeam 5’s 7-day forecast:
• Wednesday: Mix of sun and clouds, mild with 60s at the coast and northeast Massachusetts. High of 78.
• Thursday: Mix of clouds with spot showers. High of 76.
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• Friday: Chance for showers with mostly cloudy skies. High of 71.
• Saturday: Seasonable with a mix of sun and clouds (Boston Marathon weekend). High of 59.
• Sunday: Partly sunny with showers likely in the afternoon. High of 65.
• Monday: Early showers, then turning cool and breezy. High of 52.
Ben & Jerry’s cofounder forcibly removed from Senate hearing
Capitol Police was directed to physically remove protesters from a Senate hearing, including Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s.
Ben & Jerry’s is giving out free ice cream on April 14. On that day, ice cream lovers can walk into any participating shop and leave with dessert – no wallet required.
The Vermont-based company is preparing to serve up “1 million and one” scoops across 13 countries on Free Cone Day, a highly anticipated annual giveaway event, according to a Ben & Jerry’s press release.
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“Free Cone Day is all about our fans. It’s our way of saying thank you with an international moment of togetherness,” CEO Jochanan Senf said in a statement.
The Free Cone Day tradition began in 1979, after the ice cream company’s first year of business in Burlington, and has continued to grow ever since.
Here’s where to get a free scoop of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream this year in Massachusetts.
When is Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day 2026?
This year, Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day is on Tuesday, April 14. The free ice cream is typically given out at Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops between noon and 8 p.m., though some shops may vary.
How Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day works
Customers can visit any participating Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop to receive a free cup or cone of ice cream, according to the company’s website. You can pick whichever flavor you want. No purchase is required.
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“There’s no catch and no fine print,” Ben & Jerry’s said on the website.
While there may be a line outside your local Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop on Free Cone Day, it will likely move quickly because staff don’t need to ring up orders.
And the best part? Customers can get back in line as many times as they’d like. In fact, it’s actually encouraged, according to a Ben & Jerry’s press release.
“So, if fans are stuck choosing between a classic flavor like Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Cookie Dough, or a Scoop Shop exclusive like Marshmallow Sky, Sweet Cream & Cookies or Mint Chocolate Chunk, they needn’t worry. Why choose just one, when they can try them all!” the company said.
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Participating Ben & Jerry’s locations in MA
At least 17 Ben & Jerry’s locations in Massachusetts participate in Free Cone Day. Here are their addresses and special Free Cone Day hours:
Boston – Faneuil Hall: 8 North Market St., Bay 22, North Market, Boston, MA 02109 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Boston – Fenway: 61 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Boston – Newbury Street: 174 Newbury St.,Boston, MA 02116 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Boston – Prudential Center: 800 Boylston St., Prudential Center, Boston, MA 02199 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Boston – Quincy Market: 4 South Market St., Boston, MA 02109 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Boston – Seaport: 83 Seaport Boulevard,Boston, MA 02110 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Braintree – South Shore Plaza: 30 Forbes Road,Braintree, MA 02184 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Cambridge – Harvard Square: 35 JFK St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Cambridge – Porter Square: 59 White St., Cambridge, MA 02140 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Hingham – Derby Street: 92 Derby St., #113, Hingham, MA 02043 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Hyannis: 352 Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Marlboro: 187 Boston Post Road West, Marlboro, MA 01752 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Natick: 1265 Worcester St., Route 9 West, Natick, MA 01760 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
North Eastham: 50 Brackett Road, North Eastham, MA 02651 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Pittsfield: 79 South St., Pittsfield, MA 01201 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
South Deerfield – Yankee Candle Company: 25 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield, MA 01373 (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Watertown – Arsenal Yards: 103 Arsenal Yards Boulevard, Watertown, MA 02472 (12 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
This week marks 20 years since Massachusetts passed a landmark health care reform law that reshaped how residents access medical care and helped pave the way for national changes.Signed on April 12, 2006, the Massachusetts health care reform law — often referred to as “Romneycare” — expanded insurance coverage through a combination of Medicaid expansion, subsidized private plans, and an individual mandate requiring most residents to carry insurance. According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the law led to one of the highest insured rates in the country, with coverage now exceeding 97% of residents.Two decades later, doctors say the impact is still being felt, especially when it comes to how patients enter and navigate the health system.Dr. Daniel Chandler, a primary care physician and associate chief medical information officer at Tufts Medical Center, says the law fundamentally changed access to care.“Health insurance really allows people to have a primary care doctor and a medical home,” Chandler said. “And the alternative to that is often the emergency department, which can be very expensive.” With expanded coverage, more residents are now able to see primary care providers, allowing for earlier intervention and preventive care.Chandler says that shift can make a significant difference.“You can get some necessary screening done and preventive care when it’s relatively easy to fix and it’s less expensive,” he said.Despite high coverage rates, affordability remains a top issue for many patients.“Patients complain about cost all the time,” Chandler said, noting that premiums are only part of the financial burden. “Often, there’s a lot of co-pays that can add up if you choose the wrong plan.”For patients, navigating insurance options can be overwhelming, especially during limited enrollment periods.“The topic is incredibly complex,” Chandler said. “If you have resources like family members or friends who are knowledgeable, I always recommend that you ask them.” Doctors warn that financial pressure can lead patients to delay or skip treatment — a decision that can have long-term consequences.“It can be really catastrophic to avoid treatment,” Chandler said. “If a problem is easy to fix early, that can get more difficult and more expensive over time if you don’t fix it early.”To help address those challenges, many health systems — including Tufts Medicine — now offer support services such as social workers and pharmacy teams to help patients find lower-cost medications, financial assistance or other resources.
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
This week marks 20 years since Massachusetts passed a landmark health care reform law that reshaped how residents access medical care and helped pave the way for national changes.
Signed on April 12, 2006, the Massachusetts health care reform law — often referred to as “Romneycare” — expanded insurance coverage through a combination of Medicaid expansion, subsidized private plans, and an individual mandate requiring most residents to carry insurance. According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the law led to one of the highest insured rates in the country, with coverage now exceeding 97% of residents.
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Two decades later, doctors say the impact is still being felt, especially when it comes to how patients enter and navigate the health system.
Dr. Daniel Chandler, a primary care physician and associate chief medical information officer at Tufts Medical Center, says the law fundamentally changed access to care.
“Health insurance really allows people to have a primary care doctor and a medical home,” Chandler said. “And the alternative to that is often the emergency department, which can be very expensive.”
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With expanded coverage, more residents are now able to see primary care providers, allowing for earlier intervention and preventive care.
Chandler says that shift can make a significant difference.
“You can get some necessary screening done and preventive care when it’s relatively easy to fix and it’s less expensive,” he said.
Despite high coverage rates, affordability remains a top issue for many patients.
“Patients complain about cost all the time,” Chandler said, noting that premiums are only part of the financial burden. “Often, there’s a lot of co-pays that can add up if you choose the wrong plan.”
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For patients, navigating insurance options can be overwhelming, especially during limited enrollment periods.
“The topic is incredibly complex,” Chandler said. “If you have resources like family members or friends who are knowledgeable, I always recommend that you ask them.”
Doctors warn that financial pressure can lead patients to delay or skip treatment — a decision that can have long-term consequences.
“It can be really catastrophic to avoid treatment,” Chandler said. “If a problem is easy to fix early, that can get more difficult and more expensive over time if you don’t fix it early.”
To help address those challenges, many health systems — including Tufts Medicine — now offer support services such as social workers and pharmacy teams to help patients find lower-cost medications, financial assistance or other resources.
