NEW YORK, April 15. /TASS/. Accused of leaking classified Pentagon documents, US Air National Guard serviceman Jack Douglas Teixeira could be sentenced to 15 years in prison if convicted, The New York Times said.

Earlier, Teixeira was charged with two counts of unauthorized seizure of classified documents and defense materials and unauthorized possession and transmission of national defense information. The first count carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison. On the second count, Teixeira could be sentenced to ten years in prison.

The next court hearing is to take place on April 19. The defendant will remain in custody for the time being.

On Thursday, a US Air National Guard serviceman Teixeira was arrested on suspicion of publishing classified documents. According to US media reported, he heads the Thug Shaker Central Discord community, through which, preliminarily, the Pentagon's secret materials got on the Internet. The photos accompanying the New York Times article showed there were armored vehicles and armed law enforcement officers present at the scene of his detention.

US President Joe Biden ealier said that he had ordered investigators to determine why the alleged leaker had access to such sensitive information, which included records showing details of Ukrainian military vulnerabilities and embarrassed Washington by revealing its spying on allies.