CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 24-02340 — CASE

DOHA Record Explorer

ISCR Case 24-02340

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

Case Profile
Decision Date8/14/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Richard A. Cefola
Government Counsel: Tara R. Karoian
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 35-year-old employee of a defense contractor seeking a security clearance after previously holding one until October 2022. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) and Guideline J (Criminal Conduct). The SOR alleged that the applicant had significant delinquent debts totaling approximately $65,843 and a history of criminal offenses, including vandalism, reckless driving, and a DUI.
The applicant admitted to all allegations in the SOR, attributing his financial difficulties to a significant loss of income due to his wife's job instability and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He indicated that he had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy but did not provide any documentation to support this claim. Regarding his criminal history, he acknowledged the offenses and noted that he was still on probation for the DUI conviction. The administrative judge found that the applicant's financial issues and criminal conduct raised serious concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant on both guidelines, concluding that he failed to mitigate the security concerns. The judge noted that the applicant's financial difficulties were not adequately addressed, and the recency of his criminal behavior further compounded the doubts regarding his suitability for a security clearance. Consequently, the applicant's request for national security eligibility was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
- Guideline JCriminal Conduct · 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. 24-02340

deniedAug 14, 2025· Hon. Richard A. Cefola· hearing

Summary

A 35-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) and Guideline J (Criminal Conduct). The applicant admitted to approximately $65,843 in delinquent debts and a history of criminal offenses.

Specifically, the applicant was convicted of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (DUI) in October 2024, reckless driving, and vandalism stemming from a domestic dispute. These issues raised disqualifying conditions related to both financial irresponsibility and criminal conduct.

The administrative judge determined that the applicant's significant delinquent debts and criminal history posed security risks. The denial was based on the applicant's failure to provide evidence of resolving his financial issues or demonstrating rehabilitation from his criminal conduct.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to significant delinquent debts totaling approximately $65,843.
The applicant has a history of criminal offenses, including DUI and vandalism, which raised security concerns.
The applicant failed to provide evidence of addressing his financial issues or demonstrating rehabilitation from criminal conduct.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)raisedHistory of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
AG ¶ 31(a)raisedPattern of Minor Offenses
AG ¶ 31(b)raisedEvidence of Criminal Conduct
AG ¶ 31(c)raisedCurrently on Parole or Probation

Key Rule Quoted

“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJan 24, 2025
Answer filedMar 3, 2025
Hearing heldJun 26, 2025
Decision dateAug 14, 2025

Cite For

Denial Based on Significant Delinquent Debts Under Guideline F
Denial Due to a History of Criminal Conduct Under Guideline J
Failure to Demonstrate Rehabilitation or Mitigation of Financial Issues.

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 F · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant has a history of delinquent indebtedness totaling about $65,843, which he admitted. Despite attributing his financial difficulties to a loss of income, the applicant did not provide evidence of addressing his debts, leading to a decision against him under Guideline F.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has a history of delinquent indebtedness totaling about $65,843. $65,843	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline F). 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: denied

The judge found against the applicant on all allegations related to criminal conduct under Guideline J. The applicant was convicted of Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Driving, and Vandalism, which raised significant security concerns.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Offense	Criminal disposition	Response	Disqualifying (¶31)	Mitigating applied (¶32)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (DUI) and convicted in October of 2024.	Against Applicant	DUI or DWI Criminal	Convicted	Admitted	—	—	—
2.b	Applicant was charged with and convicted of Reckless Driving.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Criminal Conduct	Convicted	Admitted	—	—	—
2.c	Applicant was involved in a domestic dispute and convicted of Vandalism.	Against Applicant	Vandalism or Property Damage	Convicted	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.