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ISCR Case 19-03746 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 19-03746

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date3/8/2022
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Marc E. Curry
Government Counsel: John C. Lynch
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 43-year-old single man and U.S. Army veteran who sought a security clearance for his position as a support engineer with a defense contractor. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under Guideline E (personal conduct) and Guideline F (financial considerations). The core allegations included embellishment of his educational background on his résumé, failure to disclose criminal charges on his security clearance application, and significant delinquent tax debts totaling approximately $30,000.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to some discrepancies in his résumé but denied intentionally falsifying information, claiming that an online service had mistakenly included incorrect details. He also contended that he did not need to disclose certain criminal charges due to their age. However, the administrative judge found that the applicant's explanations lacked credibility, particularly given his abrupt resignation from a job when discrepancies were raised. The applicant's financial issues, including a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan and ongoing tax debts, further contributed to the concerns regarding his reliability and trustworthiness.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to mitigate the personal conduct and financial considerations security concerns. The judge emphasized that the applicant's embellishments and omissions raised significant questions about his judgment and honesty, which are critical for maintaining national security. As a result, the applicant's request for a security clearance was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline EPersonal Conduct · Against Applicant
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 19-03746

deniedMar 8, 2022· Hon. Marc E. Curry· hearing

Summary

A 43-year-old single U.S. Army veteran was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline E (Personal Conduct) and Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The applicant was found to have embellished his résumé by claiming multiple unearned degrees and failed to disclose significant criminal history.

Additionally, the applicant owed approximately $30,000 in delinquent federal tax debt and was under Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection. These issues raised disqualifying conditions related to personal conduct and financial considerations.

While some mitigating conditions were considered, the administrative judge determined that the applicant did not adequately mitigate the security concerns stemming from his embellished résumé, undisclosed criminal history, and unaddressed tax debt. Consequently, the applicant's security clearance was denied.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant embellished his résumé with degrees he did not earn and failed to disclose pertinent criminal history.
He owes approximately $30,000 in delinquent taxes and is under Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection, which he did not adequately mitigate.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 15appliedPersonal Conduct
AG ¶ 18appliedFinancial Considerations
AG ¶ 19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)appliedHistory of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Debts
AG ¶ 20(g)appliedCompliance with Tax Authority Arrangements

Key Rule Quoted

“A person who seeks access to classified information enters into a fiduciary relationship with the Government predicated upon trust and confidence.”
— Department of the Navy v. Egan, 484 U.S. 518, 528 (1988)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedApr 10, 2020
Answer filedJan 11, 2021
Hearing heldOct 18, 2021
Decision dateMar 8, 2022

Cite For

Failure to Disclose Significant Criminal History Under Guideline E
Embellishment of Résumé Leading to Security Concerns
Ongoing Financial Issues Impacting Security Clearance Eligibility

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline E (Personal Conduct) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on allegations of personal conduct, specifically regarding embellishment of his résumé and failure to disclose pertinent information on his security clearance application. The applicant's explanations were deemed not credible, leading to a denial of eligibility for access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Conduct	Concealed Issue	Response	Disqualifying (¶16)	Mitigating applied (¶17)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant embellished his résumé, claiming multiple degrees that he did not earn.	Against Applicant	Falsification of Employment or Other RecordsFOUND DELIBERATE	Education or Credentials	Denied	(a) deliberate omission, concealment, or falsification on a security form	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline E). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline F · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant has approximately $30,000 in delinquent federal tax debt, which he is addressing under a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan. However, the judge ruled against the applicant on all financial allegations, citing a history of not meeting financial obligations and inability to satisfy debts as significant concerns.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant owes approximately $30,000 in delinquent federal tax debt. $30,000	Against Applicant	Tax Unpaid	Denied	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
2.b–2.d	3 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (against the applicant).	Against Applicant			—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline F). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text — footnotes and signatures included — is in the original PDF.