Ahead of a new court date Thursday, federal prosecutors said that the 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking hundreds of highly classified Pentagon documents online has an “enormous incentive to flee” and should not be released from detention on bail.

In what could be the biggest intelligence leak in years, Airman Jack Teixeira, 21, is accused of posting classified military documents to the Discord online chat platform. FBI agents said the top secret documents he leaked included sensitive information about the status of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including troop movements, among many other items.

“His release would heighten the risk that he would make further unauthorized disclosures of classified national defense information,” prosecutors said in a Wednesday motion. “He has an enormous incentive to flee, and there are numerous adversaries of the United States that could provide him the means to do so, regardless of the conditions set by the court.”

At the time of his arrest, Airman Teixeira was serving with the Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The public defender lawyer working for the Massachusetts airman charge the government is engaging in “hyperbolic judgments” about the case and deny their client poses a risk of flight. They note the airman waited at his parents’ home in North Dighton, Mass. to be arrested earlier this month even though he knew federal agents were coming to arrest him.

“There is no allegation in the affidavit that Mr. Teixeira had any intent for these documents to become widely available on the internet or desired to disrupt the geopolitical affairs of the United States,” his attorney wrote in a filing ahead of Thursday’s hearing. “Thus, there is no reason to suggest that, if released, Mr. Teixeira has any motivation, desire, or current ability to commit any actions like those alleged in the complaint affidavit or in the government’s supplemental motion for detention.”

Federal Magistrate Judge David Hennessy has set a 1 p.m. detention hearing in Worcester, Mass. Thursday to hear arguments about whether Airman Teixeira should be kept in federal custody ahead of his trial.

Prosecutors said he viewed hundreds of sensitive documents between February 2022 and April 2023. He made hundreds of keyword searches in an effort to find classified information and solicited requests from his online friends on what to post.

“The defendant accessed these documents in what appears to be a deliberate effort to disseminate this country’s secrets,” according to the court filing.

As investigators were closing in, the airman allegedly began destroying evidence and contacting potential witnesses in what federal prosecutors said was a clear attempt to obstruct justice.

Prosecutors say the airman deleted the social media server where he posted government information, encouraged others to delete evidence that could be used against him, and got rid of several electronic devices. He also got a new phone number and email address, according to the court filing.

“The defendant took these steps with the intent to cover his tracks and to obscure his role in multiple crimes,” prosecutors said. “The defendant would have no hesitation, if released, to continue in his efforts to obstruct efforts to bring him to justice.”

Based on the training he received in the military, Airman Teixeira would have little trouble getting around any restrictions placed on him if he was set free pending the trial, prosecutors said.

“There is clear and convincing evidence to show that the defendant poses a threat to the integrity of this judicial proceeding,” according to the court filing.

Prosecutors also say the accused owned “a virtual arsenal” of firearms at the time of his arrest and had used his government-supplied computer to search for phrases about violent incidents such as “Ruby Ridge,” Las Vegas shooting” and “Uvalde.”

“The defendant has already proved himself to be a danger to the U.S. national security,” prosecutors said. “In light of the physical danger posed by the defendant, if released, there is simply no condition or combination of conditions that can be fashioned to adequately address and mitigate the risk posed by his release.”

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.