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ISCR Case 24-00908 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 24-00908

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

Case Profile
Decision Date4/29/2025
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Mark W. Harvey
Government Counsel: Carroll J. Connelley
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 46-year-old senior program manager employed by a government contractor for approximately 18 months. The Department of Defense's Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guidelines H (drug involvement and substance misuse) and J (criminal conduct). The SOR alleged that the applicant had possessed and used marijuana from 1993 to 2023 and had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana in 1998.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to the allegations in the SOR, including his past marijuana use and the 1998 conviction. He explained that he had ceased using marijuana on April 27, 2023, due to negative effects on his mental health and expressed a commitment to abstain from illegal drug use in the future. The applicant provided character evidence from his supervisor, who described him as reliable and trustworthy, and he had passed a drug test upon starting his current job.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that the security concerns were mitigated. The judge noted the applicant's admissions, his proactive steps to discontinue drug use, and his commitment to maintaining a lifestyle consistent with federal regulations. The judge emphasized the importance of evaluating the applicant's overall character and behavior, ultimately determining that granting the security clearance was consistent with national security interests.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · For Applicant
- Guideline JCriminal Conduct · For Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00908

grantedApr 29, 2025· Hon. Mark W. Harvey· hearing

Summary

A 46-year-old senior program manager was granted eligibility for access to classified information, despite security concerns raised under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) and Guideline J (Criminal Conduct). The Statement of Reasons alleged that the applicant possessed and used marijuana with varying frequency from approximately January 1993 to April 2023, and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana possession around August 1998. These actions raised disqualifying conditions under both guidelines.

However, the administrative judge found that the applicant successfully mitigated these concerns. The applicant voluntarily ceased marijuana use on April 27, 2023, demonstrating over 22 months of abstinence. He also provided a signed statement affirming his commitment to abstain from all illegal drug involvement in the future.

Further mitigating factors included positive character references from his supervisor, which highlighted his reliability and trustworthiness. The judge concluded that the applicant demonstrated a commitment to abstain from illegal drug use, thereby resolving the security concerns and underscoring the importance of trustworthiness and reliability for national security roles. Eligibility for access to classified information was GRANTED.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant voluntarily ceased marijuana use on April 27, 2023, and has abstained for over 22 months.
He provided a signed statement affirming his intent to abstain from all illegal drug involvement.
Positive character references from his supervisor highlighted his reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)raisedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance
AG ¶ 31(a)raisedPattern of Minor Offenses
AG ¶ 31(b)raisedEvidence of Criminal Conduct

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)appliedBehavior Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 26(b)appliedAcknowledgment and Evidence of Actions Taken to Overcome Drug Involvement
AG ¶ 32(a)appliedTime Elapsed Since Criminal Behavior
AG ¶ 32(d)appliedEvidence of Successful Rehabilitation

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for a security clearance is predicated upon the applicant meeting the criteria contained in the adjudicative guidelines.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedOct 2, 2024
Answer filedOct 22, 2024
Hearing heldFeb 25, 2025
Decision dateApr 29, 2025

Cite For

Mitigation of Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Mitigation of Criminal Conduct Under Guideline J
Importance of Character References in Security Clearance Decisions

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: granted

The judge found that the applicant possessed and used marijuana with varying frequency from January 1993 to April 2023 and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana in August 1998. Despite this history, the judge concluded that the applicant's recent commitment to abstain from drug use and his positive professional evaluations supported granting him eligibility for access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant possessed and used marijuana with varying frequency from about January 1993 to about April 2023.	For Applicant	Marijuana	Frequent	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Abstinence Period Documented Claimed Other
1.b	Applicant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana on or about August 1998.	For Applicant	Unspecified Drug Involvement	Unspecified	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other

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

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline J (Criminal Conduct) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: granted

The judge found in favor of the applicant regarding the criminal conduct concerns related to drug involvement and substance misuse. The applicant admitted to past marijuana use but demonstrated a commitment to abstain and provided evidence of positive changes in behavior, leading to the granting of eligibility for access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Offense	Criminal disposition	Response	Disqualifying (¶31)	Mitigating applied (¶32)	Mitigation
2.b	The drug involvement and substance misuse security concerns in SOR 1.a, 1.b, and 1.c under the criminal conduct guideline.	For Applicant	Drug Related Criminal Charge	Conduct No Charge	Admitted	—	—	—

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

Full decision

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