researchismIn March 2023, someone dropped ten photos of “top secret” pages into an argument on a Minecraft server. They were real, a federal case would later show: Pentagon briefings on the war in Ukraine. Forty days later, FBI agents arrested the man who had first shared them, a 21-year-old IT airman in the Air National Guard.
From court records, an FBI affidavit and the Air Force’s own investigation, we follow the photos back, copy by copy, to a locked room on a military base.
How to read our sources
In the film, a small dot lights up where a claim is made, then slides into the right margin and becomes a note: a number, the source and its year. That number is the number below. researchism.tv/how-top-secret-war-documents-ended-up-on-a-minecraft-server/#5 takes you straight to source 5.
The brightness of the dot is our certainty, the lamp code:
Lit: established. A court finding, an admission in a plea, an official record.
Half: reported or alleged. Indictments, prosecutors’ claims, press reports, an investigator’s own account.
Dark: unknown or unverified. We looked and could not confirm it.
The dot rates the claim as the film makes it. A line like “prosecutors said” can be lit: the record proves they said it, not that it is true. The dot’s shape tells you what kind of source it is:
primary recordsecondary: press or an investigatortestimony or our own estimate
Every source shows when it was published and when we last looked at it. “Accessed” is the day we retrieved and read it. “Link checked” is the day its link last opened for us. Where a site blocks automated checks, we say that the link was not confirmed.
Sources
The 3 sources numbered on screen, in order. Timecodes show where each number appears in the film; the small dot is its brightness at that moment.
- 1
Accessed · link checked
Allegations at the time of the arrest; Teixeira later pleaded guilty (see #4). Pages 6 and 7 are shown in the film (#54, #59).
established
In the film 1:14
- 6
Government’s Sentencing Memorandum (ECF 144)
Accessed · link checked
The government’s argument for a 200-month sentence. Quotes in the film marked “as quoted in the government’s sentencing memorandum” come from here. Pages 4, 6 and 7 are shown in the film (#80, #56, #55).
established
In the film 1:12
- 10
Accessed · link checked
Pages 1 to 4 are shown in the film (#50, #77, #57, #58) with the Air Force’s own redactions.
Also: afinspectorgeneral.af.mil, archived copy
established
In the film 1:16
Further reading
Everything else we used to research this episode, with the same numbering. These do not appear with a number in the film.
Court records
- 2
Accessed · link checked
Charges under 18 U.S.C. § 793 and § 1924: allegations at the time. Page 1 is shown in the film (#47).
Used in the film 8:24
- 3
Government’s Supplemental Motion in Support of Pretrial Detention (ECF 19)
Accessed · link checked
The government’s allegations, not findings. Pages 2 and 7 are shown in the film (#60, #73).
Named in the film 6:10 7:47 9:37 9:46
Used in the film 0:49 1:19 1:24 1:29 1:35 2:46 3:13 3:19 5:41 8:55 9:08 10:08
- 4
Docket: United States v. Teixeira, No. 1:23-cr-10159-IT
Accessed · link checked
Indictment June 15, 2023; not-guilty plea June 21, 2023; guilty plea Mar. 4, 2024; sentencing Nov. 12, 2024; judgment Nov. 18, 2024. Basis of the court dates in the film.
Used in the film 1:42 10:02 10:08 10:12 10:55 11:02 11:15 11:51
- 5
Indictment, six counts (ECF 48)
Accessed · link checked
Allegations at the time; he later pleaded guilty to all six counts. Page 1 is shown in the film (#48).
- 7
Plea Agreement under Rule 11(c)(1)(C) (ECF 130)
Link checked
This copy did not open during our research, so we did not rely on it. The counts and the agreed range of 132 to 200 months are confirmed by the docket (#4) and the sentencing memorandum (#6).
Used in the film 10:55
- 8
- 37
Accessed · link checked
Quoted in the government’s sentencing memorandum (#6). Page 1 is shown in the film (#83).
Named in the film 12:56
Government
- 9
Inmate Locator: Jack Douglas Teixeira
Accessed · link checked
On Oct. 29, 2026: in custody at USP Florence ADMAX, projected release Jan. 22, 2036. Search by name. The film recreates the status line without the register number.
- 11
Link checked
The disciplinary actions against 15 airmen, from staff sergeant to colonel. The headline misspells his name as published.
Also: aflcmc.af.mil
Named in the film 10:36
- 18
- 19
Link not confirmed on : the site blocks automated checks
Used in the film 10:55
- 26
“FBI Statement on Arrest of Jack Douglas Teixeira”
Link not confirmed on : the site blocks automated checks
- 27
“Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Statement on Classified National Defense Information”
Link not confirmed on : the site blocks automated checks
The film shows his words as text over the muted video (#74). The wording was checked against the transcript copy on GlobalSecurity.org.
Also: globalsecurity.org
Named in the film 9:50
- 28
Pentagon press briefing by Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder (transcript)
Link checked
The film plays a few seconds of the original audio, “a deliberate criminal act” (#75, #76).
Also: dvidshub.net
Named in the film 9:56
- 36
Link not confirmed on : the site blocks automated checks
Used in the film 10:55
Press
- 12
“Air Force Lifts Suspension on Unit More Than a Year After Classified Documents Leak”
Link checked
Used in the film 10:50
- 13
[Report that the Air Guard group would resume its top-secret work on June 1, 2024]
Link not confirmed on : the site blocks automated checks
Used in the film 10:50
- 14
“Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to obstructing justice”
Link checked
The court-martial at Hanscom Air Force Base: a dishonorable discharge and no added confinement. A punitive discharge takes effect only after appellate review; we found no public outcome of the automatic appeal.
- 15
- 16
“Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira speaks out from prison for 1st time”
Link checked
Source of his application for a presidential pardon; we found no public decision on it. The film shows the headline as a recreation in our type and paraphrases the interview.
Used in the film 12:14
- 17
“Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira says he’d do it all again and begs Trump for pardon”
Link checked
Used in the film 11:55
- 20
“From Discord to 4chan: The Improbable Journey of a US Intelligence Leak”
Link checked
Documents the post of Mar. 4, 2023, in the chat for fans of the Minecraft map, and the altered casualty figure. Its screenshots are shown in the film (#43, #61, #62). The film recreates the headline as it appears in the article’s address, “…a US Defence Leak”.
Named in the film 0:19 5:59 6:23 6:29 7:33
Used in the film 0:00 0:09 0:14 0:22 0:28 0:39 0:54 5:45 5:49 6:06 6:16 6:19 6:35 6:41 6:47 7:12 7:22 7:27 9:04 12:40 13:07
- 21
“Leaker of U.S. secret documents worked on military base, friend says”
Link checked
The member of the group the Post interviewed was a teenager; we do not name or show the interviewee. The film recreates the headline as we recorded it; on Oct. 30, 2026, the article’s page was titled “Discord member details how documents leaked from closed chat group”.
- 22
- 24
Link checked
- 25
- 29
“Pentagon to tighten oversight of handling classified information in wake of leaks”
Link checked
Used in the film 2:05
- 30
- 31
“Discipline Handed Down for US Intelligence ‘Discord Leaks’”
Link checked
The inspector general found that the unit knew of up to four earlier instances.
- 32
- 33
“Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira sentenced to 15 years in prison by a federal judge”
Link checked
Source of the defense’s request for 132 months and of his apology in court.
- 34
“Airman shared sensitive intelligence more widely and for longer than previously known”
Link not confirmed on : the site blocks automated checks
The second server, with about 600 members. The film shows the headline as a recreation.
Named in the film 5:32
- 41
Link checked
Summarizes the inspector general’s report (#10): night shifts with little supervision, no controls on print jobs, 15 people disciplined.
- 42
“Man accused of Pentagon leak warned multiple times about classified information, prosecutors say”
Link checked
The memos of Sept. 15 and Oct. 27, 2022, and Jan. 30, 2023, as reported by the AP. We have not linked the filing itself.
Also: thedebrief.org
Used in the film 4:04
Other
- 35
- 38
[Our calculation: the unit’s mission was suspended for about 13½ months (April 2023 to June 1, 2024)]
Our own estimate.
Used in the film 10:50
- 39
[Our calculation: the leaks ran for about 14 to 15 months (January 2022 to March 2023)]
Our own estimate.
Used in the film 5:41
- 40
[Our calculation: about 3½ years in custody since the arrest on Apr. 13, 2023; projected release Jan. 22, 2036]
Our own estimate.
Used in the film 11:51
Image and footage credits
Unless a license is listed, third-party photos and clips appear under fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107) for news reporting and commentary: short excerpts, framed and muted in color, discussed by our narration, with the source named on screen. We do not use news agency photos.
No leaked document is shown: every secret page in the film is our own hatched, redacted mock-up, labeled on screen. Usernames, avatars and document images in screenshots are barred, and parts of some aerial shots are blurred to protect neighbors’ privacy. Third-party audio is muted, with one exception (#76).
Court records and government documents
Public records, shown as page excerpts.
- 47
- 48
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
- 49
Judgment, page 1: guilty on six counts (#8)
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
- 54
- 59
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
- 60
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
- 73
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
- 55
- 56
Sentencing memorandum, page 6 (#6)
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
In the film 3:24
- 80
Sentencing memorandum, page 4 (#6)
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
In the film 11:07
- 81
Judgment, page 3: 180 months (#8)
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
In the film 11:15
- 83
Kendall declaration, page 1 (#37)
Accessed · link checked
Public record (federal court filing).
In the film 12:56
- 50
Inspector general’s report, cover page (#10)
Accessed · link checked
U.S. government work, public domain. The redactions are the Air Force’s own.
- 77
Inspector general’s report, page 2 (#10)
Accessed · link checked
U.S. government work, public domain. The redactions are the Air Force’s own.
- 57
Inspector general’s report, page 3 (#10)
Accessed · link checked
U.S. government work, public domain. The redactions are the Air Force’s own.
In the film 4:04
- 58
Inspector general’s report, page 4 (#10)
Accessed · link checked
U.S. government work, public domain. The redactions are the Air Force’s own.
In the film 4:37
Government photos, video and audio
- 52
102nd Intelligence Wing change of command: formation in a hangar
Accessed · link checked
U.S. government work, public domain.
In the film 1:29
- 71
FBI search photo: a dumpster at night, under a tarp
Accessed · link checked
Public domain (FBI court exhibit, as tagged on Wikimedia Commons). Cropped by us.
In the film 9:37
- 72
FBI search photo: devices found in the dumpster
Accessed · link checked
Public domain (FBI court exhibit, as tagged on Wikimedia Commons).
In the film 9:37
- 75
Pentagon press briefing, video: “a deliberate criminal act”
Accessed · link checked
U.S. government work, public domain.
In the film 9:56
- 76
Pentagon press briefing, original audio: “a deliberate criminal act”
Accessed · link checked
U.S. government work, public domain. The only third-party audio in the film, with subtitles.
In the film 9:56
News footage
- 44
Helicopter footage of the arrest: an armored vehicle and agents in the yard
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
- 45
Helicopter footage of the arrest: hands up in the yard
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
- 65
Helicopter footage of the arrest: agents at a truck
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 9:14
- 66
Helicopter footage of the arrest: at an SUV
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 9:14
- 67
Helicopter footage of the arrest: the walk across the yard
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 9:21
- 68
Helicopter footage of the arrest: hands on his head
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 9:29
- 69
Helicopter footage of the arrest: handcuffed at a truck
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 9:29
- 70
Helicopter footage of the arrest: escorted to a vehicle
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 9:34
- 51
Aerial view of buildings at Otis Air National Guard Base
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 1:29
- 78
Aerial view of the gate at Otis Air National Guard Base
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 10:50
- 64
- 84
Portrait of Jack Teixeira in uniform, as shown on TV
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: framed and captioned.
In the film 0:49
- 82
Press conference after the sentencing
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 11:22
Social media and screenshots
- 43
Screenshot of the Discord post of Mar. 4, 2023, with photos of documents
Accessed · link checked
Fair use. Usernames, avatars and the document images barred by us.
- 61
Screenshot of the 4chan thread of Apr. 5, 2023, with time stamps
Accessed · link checked
Fair use. Images redacted by us.
In the film 6:23
- 62
Screenshot of a Telegram channel post of Apr. 5, 2023
Accessed · link checked
Fair use. Channel name and images redacted by us.
In the film 6:29
- 63
Post on X about the earliest known 4chan post
Accessed · link checked
Fair use. Images redacted by us.
In the film 6:47
- 53
Basic-training portrait of Jack Teixeira, as circulated on X
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: framed and captioned.
In the film 1:42
- 74
Video of the Justice Department statement on the arrest
Accessed · link checked
Fair use. Muted; the Attorney General’s words are shown as text (#27).
In the film 9:50
- 79
Pool video of the Justice Department press conference after the guilty plea
Accessed · link checked
Fair use: short, framed, muted, the outlet named on screen.
In the film 10:55
- Map data
- Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Land and border outlines: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Voice, music, sound
- The narration is an AI voice (ElevenLabs), reading our script. Original music and sound effects were generated with ElevenLabs and edited and mixed by us. The only third-party sound is a few seconds of the Pentagon briefing of Apr. 13, 2023 (public domain).
- 3D and graphics
- 3D scenes, the block-built Earth, reconstructions, maps and graphics: researchism. The block world is our own engraved model, not the server’s real map. Reconstructions and illustrations are labeled on screen; chat usernames are invented.
- Type
- Fraunces, Source Serif 4 and Charis SIL (SIL Open Font License).
Checked, not used in the film
- 46
Mirror selfie of Jack Teixeira, as shown on TV
Accessed · link checked
- 85
Justice Department statement on the arrest, as aired by CNBC Television
Accessed · link checked
- 86
John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse, September 2024
Accessed · link checked
Legal status
as of the last public court records shown in the film: Oct. 29, 2026
Status checked : no change since Oct. 29, 2026.
- Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty on Mar. 4, 2024, to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. #4 #19
- He was sentenced to 15 years in prison (180 months) on Nov. 12, 2024, followed by 3 years of supervised release; the judgment was entered Nov. 18, 2024. #8 #18
- At a court-martial on Mar. 13, 2025, he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, with no added confinement. A punitive discharge takes effect only after appellate review; we found no public outcome of the automatic appeal. #14 #15
- The Federal Bureau of Prisons lists him in custody, with a projected release date of Jan. 22, 2036. In May 2025 he applied for a presidential pardon, ABC News reported; we found no public decision. #9 #16
The complaint, the indictment and the government’s filings were allegations when they were made. The facts in the film rest on what Teixeira admitted when he pleaded guilty and on what the court decided.
Members of his chat group, some of them minors, the people who reposted the photos and the teenager interviewed by the press are not named in the film or on this page; chat usernames in the film are invented. That is our choice.
What we checked on Oct. 30, 2026 (the evening of Oct. 29, Eastern Time): the docket of United States v. Teixeira on CourtListener / RECAP, where the latest public entry is dated Nov. 26, 2024 (CourtListener last refreshed this docket from the court on June 5, 2025), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator (in custody at USP Florence ADMAX, projected release Jan. 22, 2036). Sealed filings do not appear on CourtListener, we did not search PACER, the court’s paid records system, and the court-martial and its appeal are military proceedings outside these records.
Docket via CourtListener / RECAP: United States v. Teixeira, No. 1:23-cr-10159-IT (D. Mass.), case closed Nov. 18, 2024, latest public entry Nov. 26, 2024 (re-checked Oct. 30, 2026: no new public entries). Court records change; when they do, we update this box and log it below.
Corrections
Spotted an error? contact@researchism.tv
Tell us the source number or the timecode. We fix mistakes on this page and log every change here.
- Page created. Court status checked: no change since Oct. 29, 2026. Source links checked.
- Page published.