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ISCR Case 23-01908 — CASE

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ISCR Case 23-01908

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

Case Profile
Decision Date7/11/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Mark D. Lawton
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 30-year-old individual employed by a federal contractor since January 2023. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F (financial considerations) and Guideline E (personal conduct). The core allegations included the applicant's admission of significant financial debts totaling approximately $20,825, which included medical debts and loans in collection, as well as a history of employment termination due to timecard fraud.
The applicant admitted to all allegations in the SOR, including the debts and the circumstances surrounding his termination from a previous job for falsifying timecards. He explained that his financial difficulties stemmed from periods of unemployment and that he intended to resolve his debts once he achieved stable employment. However, he did not provide evidence of any payments made or arrangements established with creditors. Additionally, he acknowledged failing to file several state and federal tax returns, attributing this to a lack of understanding of the consequences and a busy personal life.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to mitigate the security concerns related to his financial issues and personal conduct. The judge emphasized the importance of trust and reliability in individuals granted access to classified information, noting that the applicant's admissions and lack of proactive measures to address his financial and legal obligations raised significant doubts about his judgment and reliability. Consequently, the applicant's eligibility for access to classified information was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline EPersonal Conduct · Against Applicant
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 23-01908

deniedJul 11, 2024· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 30-year-old federal contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) and Guideline E (Personal Conduct). The denial stemmed from two primary issues: multiple delinquent debts and the falsification of employment termination details.

The applicant admitted to seven delinquent debts totaling approximately $20,875, with some outstanding since 2016 and others since 2022. Furthermore, the applicant deliberately falsified information to the government investigator and on his Security Clearance Application (SCA) regarding his termination from a previous employment. He claimed he was laid off, when in fact he was fired for timecard fraud.

The judge determined that these actions raised significant concerns about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness. The applicant failed to provide evidence of efforts to resolve his financial issues or to file delinquent tax returns, further contributing to the denial.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to multiple delinquent debts totaling approximately $20,875.
The applicant falsified information regarding his employment termination, claiming he was laid off instead of being fired for timecard fraud.
The applicant failed to provide evidence of efforts to resolve his financial issues or to file delinquent tax returns.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)appliedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
AG ¶ 16(a)appliedDeliberate Omission, Concealment, or Falsification of Relevant Facts

Key Rule Quoted

“Failure to file tax returns suggests that an applicant has a problem with complying with well-established government rules and systems.”
— ISCR Case No. 14-04437 at 3 (App. Bd. Apr. 15, 2016)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedNov 6, 2023
Answer filedNov 17, 2023
Hearing held—Decided on the written record.
Decision dateJul 11, 2024

Cite For

Failure to Mitigate Financial Considerations Under Guideline F
Failure to Disclose Employment Termination Details Under Guideline E
Serious Questions Regarding Reliability and Trustworthiness Due to Financial Irresponsibility

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: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on the personal conduct allegations under Guideline E, specifically regarding the deliberate falsification of his SCA and statements to a government investigator about his termination for timecard fraud. The applicant's conduct raised concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness, leading to a denied security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Conduct	Concealed Issue	Response	Disqualifying (¶16)	Mitigating applied (¶17)	Mitigation
2.a–2.b	2 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (against the applicant).	Against Applicant		—		—	—	—
2.c	Applicant deliberately falsified his SCA and statements to the government investigator regarding his termination from employment for timecard fraud.	For Applicant	Falsification Security FormFOUND DELIBERATE	Employment History	Admitted	—	—	—
2.d	specific text not stated in this decision	For Applicant	Unspecified Personal Conduct	—	Unknown	—	—	—

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: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on all financial allegations under Guideline F, which included seven delinquent debts totaling approximately $20,875. The applicant admitted to the debts but did not provide sufficient evidence of mitigation to overcome the security concerns raised.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has seven delinquent debts totaling approximately $20,875. Some have been delinquent since 2016, others since 2022. $20,875	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other
1.b–1.i	8 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.