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ISCR Case 23-02402 — CASE

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ISCR Case 23-02402

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/27/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Related decisionsSee the hearing decision (Case 23-02402) →See the appeal decision (Case ISCR Case No. 23-02402) →See the hearing decision (Case ISCR Case No. 23-02402) →See the hearing decision (Case 23-02402) →
Participants
Judge: LeRoy F. Foreman
Government Counsel: Andrea M. Corrales
Applicant's Counsel: Carl Anthony Marrone
Case Summary
not limited to, participation in counseling or rehabilitation programs.
The administrative judge ruled that the applicant's history of drug involvement and substance misuse under Guideline H, including the use of marijuana, cocaine, and the illegal sale of prescription medication, raised significant security concerns. Although the applicant admitted to the allegations and provided evidence of her efforts to change, including attending church and receiving counseling, the judge found that the mitigating conditions did not sufficiently outweigh the disqualifying factors. The judge noted that the applicant's substance misuse occurred over a prolonged period and included illegal activities, which undermined her reliability and trustworthiness. Consequently, the judge denied the application for security clearance, concluding that the applicant had not demonstrated the necessary stability and judgment required for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline EPersonal Conduct · Against Applicant
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
Finding similar decisions…

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 23-02402

deniedFeb 27, 2025· Hon. LeRoy F. Foreman· hearing

Summary

A 31-year-old help desk technician was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) and Guideline E (Personal Conduct). The Statement of Reasons detailed a history of substance misuse, including marijuana use from approximately September 2007 to February 2023, and cocaine use from about June 2012 to January 2023. Additionally, the applicant misused prescription Adderall from around September 2007 to March 2022 and purchased marijuana between December 2011 and November 2021.

A significant concern was the wrongful sale of prescription Adderall by the applicant between March 2021 and November 2021. Disqualifying conditions related to drug involvement and personal conduct were raised, while mitigating conditions concerning the passage of time and efforts toward rehabilitation were considered.

Ultimately, the administrative judge denied the clearance. The decision cited the applicant's extensive history of drug involvement, including the sale of prescription medication, and recent drug use, specifically cocaine, which raised doubts about her reliability and trustworthiness. Furthermore, the applicant's stated intent to abstain from drug use was deemed not fully compliant with requirements.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant had a long history of drug involvement, including the sale of prescription medication.
The applicant's recent drug use, including cocaine, raised concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness.
The applicant's statement of intent to abstain from drug use was not fully compliant with requirements.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)appliedAny Substance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)appliedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)rejectedBehavior Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment of Drug Involvement
AG ¶ 26(d)rejectedCompletion of a Drug Treatment Program

Key Rule Quoted

“Once a concern arises regarding an applicant’s security clearance eligibility, there is a strong presumption against the grant or maintenance of a security clearance.”
— ISCR Case No. 09-01652 at 3 (App. Bd. Aug. 8, 2011)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedNov 23, 2023
Answer filedJan 12, 2024
Hearing heldSep 24, 2024conducted by video teleconference
Decision dateFeb 27, 2025decision on remand

Cite For

Disqualifying Conditions Under Guideline H for Drug Involvement
Mitigating Conditions Analysis Under Guideline E for Personal Conduct
Presumption Against Granting Security Clearance When Concerns Arise

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 the personal conduct concerns under Guideline E. The applicant's conduct was cross-alleged from Guideline H, which included substance misuse. The judge concluded that the applicant did not mitigate the personal conduct concerns, resulting in a denial of clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Conduct	Concealed Issue	Response	Disqualifying (¶16)	Mitigating applied (¶17)	Mitigation
2.a	SOR ¶ 2.a cross-alleged the conduct alleged under Guideline H	Against Applicant	Pattern of Dishonesty or Rule Violations	—	Denied	—	—	—

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

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant had a history of drug involvement, including the use of marijuana and cocaine, as well as the misuse and wrongful sale of prescription medication Adderall. The formal findings were against the applicant on all allegations, leading to a denial of her security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant used marijuana with varying frequency from about September 2007 to about February 2023.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Frequent	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—
1.b	Applicant used cocaine with varying frequency from about June 2012 to about January 2023.	Against Applicant	Cocaine	Frequent	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—
1.c	Applicant misused the prescription medication Adderall from about September 2007 to about March 2022.	Against Applicant	Prescription Stimulant Misuse	Frequent	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—
1.d	Applicant purchased marijuana from about December 2011 to about November 2021.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Not Applicable	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—
1.e	Applicant wrongfully sold her prescription medication Adderall between March 2021 and November 2021.	Against Applicant	Drug Distribution or Dealing	Not Applicable	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—

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.