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ISCR Case 23-02942 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 23-02942

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

Case Profile
Decision Date8/29/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Darlene Lokey Anderson
Government Counsel: Jeff A. Nagel
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 27-year-old individual seeking a security clearance for a position as an Aircraft Structures Mechanic with a defense contractor. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline H, which pertains to drug involvement and substance abuse. The core allegations included the applicant's history of illegal drug use, specifically marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy, over a period from 2016 to 2022.
During the hearing, the applicant admitted to using marijuana over 500 times and purchasing it illegally in July 2022. He also acknowledged using cocaine and ecstasy on multiple occasions. The applicant testified that he had decided to quit using drugs after July 2022 and had distanced himself from his previous social circle. However, he was involved in a serious vehicle accident in May 2024, which left him in critical condition and undergoing rehabilitation. Despite his claims of wanting to improve his life and stop drug use, the administrative judge found that the applicant's extensive history of drug involvement and the lack of sufficient time demonstrating abstinence did not mitigate the security concerns.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that his past drug use raised significant questions about his reliability and trustworthiness. The judge noted that the applicant's youth, immaturity, and the influence of peers contributed to his drug use, and he had not been drug-free long enough to establish a pattern of abstinence. Therefore, the applicant did not meet the necessary requirements for eligibility to access classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 23-02942

deniedAug 29, 2024· Hon. Darlene Lokey Anderson· hearing

Summary

A 27-year-old male applicant with a high school diploma and some college education was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to a history of illegal drug use. The Statement of Reasons detailed his use of controlled substances, including marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy, which caused physical or mental impairment or were used inconsistently with their intended purpose.

Specifically, the applicant had a history of illegal drug use involving marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy, and purchased marijuana illegally in July 2022. He acknowledged regular use of marijuana and cocaine over a five-to-six-year period. These facts raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 25(a) and 25(c).

The denial was based on the applicant's recent history of illegal drug use and his failure to demonstrate a sustained period of abstinence. The judge concluded that the applicant's extensive drug involvement raised significant questions about his reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of his security clearance application.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant has a recent history of illegal drug use involving marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy.
He has not demonstrated a sustained period of abstinence from drug use.
The applicant's extensive history of drug involvement raises questions about his reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)raisedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance

Key Rule Quoted

“The illegal use of controlled substances...can raise questions about an individual's reliability and trustworthiness.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJan 30, 2024
Answer filedFeb 14, 2024
Hearing heldJul 9, 2024Rescheduled after initial default due to applicant's critical condition from an accident.
Decision dateAug 29, 2024

Cite For

Denial Based on Recent Illegal Drug Use Under Guideline H
Insufficient Evidence of Rehabilitation for Drug Involvement
Importance of Sustained Abstinence in Security Clearance Evaluations

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 H (Drug Involvement) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant has a significant history of illegal drug use involving marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy, which raises concerns about reliability and trustworthiness. The applicant's attempts at mitigation were not sufficient to overcome the security concerns, leading to a denial of the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has used controlled substances that cause physical or mental impairment or are used in a manner inconsistent with their intended purpose.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Drug Involvement	Unspecified	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant has a history of illegal drug use involving marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Drug Involvement	Unspecified	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant purchased marijuana illegally in July 2022.	Against Applicant	Drug Distribution or Dealing	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant acknowledged that he used marijuana and cocaine on a regular basis spanning over a five-or-six year period.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Regular	Admitted	—	—	—

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

Full decision

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