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ISCR Case 25-00359 — CASE

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ISCR Case 25-00359

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/18/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Richard A. Cefola
Government Counsel: Sakeena Farhath
Case Summary
Applicant, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen originally from Baghdad, Iraq, sought a security clearance for employment as a linguist with a defense contractor. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons citing security concerns under Guidelines J (Criminal Conduct), F (Financial Considerations), and B (Foreign Influence). The allegations included a history of criminal behavior, significant financial debt, and foreign family connections that could pose a risk to national security.
The applicant admitted to multiple criminal charges, including assault and felony fraud, resulting in a 33-month prison sentence and substantial restitution owed to the U.S. government. He also acknowledged debts totaling approximately $337,000, including a tax lien and delinquent accounts. Regarding foreign influence, he confirmed that his immediate family members reside in Iraq and work for the Iraqi government, which raised concerns about potential divided allegiance and foreign exploitation. Although he claimed to have been disowned by his family, the administrative judge found that these connections still posed a risk.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he did not mitigate the security concerns. The judge determined that the seriousness of the applicant's criminal history, ongoing financial issues, and foreign family ties continued to cast doubt on his reliability, trustworthiness, and good judgment, ultimately denying his eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline BForeign Influence · Against Applicant
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
- Guideline JCriminal Conduct · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 25-00359

deniedFeb 18, 2026· Hon. Richard A. Cefola· hearing

Summary

A 42-year-old linguist applying for a defense contractor position was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guidelines B (Foreign Influence), F (Financial Considerations), and J (Criminal Conduct). The applicant's Statement of Reasons detailed a significant criminal history, including an arrest and charge for Assault Causing Bodily Injury to a Family Member, and a December 2018 arrest and charge for Felony Fraud and False Statements.

Financially, the applicant was indebted to the U.S. Government for approximately $337,000 due to a tax lien. Additionally, foreign influence concerns arose from the applicant's admission that both his parents, his brother, and both his sisters are citizens and residents of Iraq.

The denial was based on the applicant's failure to mitigate these issues. Specifically, his significant criminal history, substantial financial debts including delinquent accounts, and familial ties to Iraq, which raised concerns about potential foreign influence and coercion, were cited as reasons for the unfavorable decision.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant had a significant criminal history, including felony convictions and a tax lien.
The applicant admitted to substantial financial debts, including delinquent accounts.
The applicant's familial ties to Iraq raised concerns about foreign influence and potential coercion.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 7(a)raisedForeign Influence
AG ¶ 19(a)raisedFinancial Considerations
AG ¶ 31(b)raisedCriminal Conduct

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJul 14, 2025
Answer filedJul 22, 2025Requested decision based on written record.
Hearing held—Decision made without a hearing.
Decision dateFeb 18, 2026

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Criminal Conduct Under Guideline J
Financial Distress as a Disqualifying Factor Under Guideline F
Foreign Influence Concerns Due to Familial Ties Under Guideline B

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 B (Foreign Influence) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant's family ties in Iraq, including his parents and siblings who are citizens and residents there, create a potential conflict of interest and a heightened risk of foreign exploitation. The applicant's claims of estrangement from his family were not sufficient to mitigate these concerns. Ultimately, the judge ruled against the applicant on all allegations under Guideline B.

Country conditions:the decision took administrative notice of official facts about the foreign country (the Government’s country submission).

U.S. ties the decision noted: Naturalized U.S. Citizen · U.S. Military or Government Service

¶	Allegation	Finding	Relationship	Country	Response	Disqualifying (¶7)	Mitigating applied (¶8)	Mitigation
3.a	Applicant admitted that his parents, his brother, and both his sisters are citizens and residents of Iraq.	Against Applicant	Parent in Foreign Country Immediate Family	Iraq HEIGHTENED RISK	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other
3.b–3.e	4 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (against the applicant).	Against Applicant	Unspecified Foreign Relationship Other	—		—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline B). 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 that the applicant has significant financial concerns under Guideline F, including a tax lien of approximately $337,000, a repossessed vehicle debt of about $12,522, and a collection account of approximately $5,995. The judge ruled against the applicant on all financial allegations, indicating that the applicant did not mitigate the security concerns related to his financial situation.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant is indebted to the U.S. Government in the approximate amount of $337,000 on a tax lien entered against him. $337,000	Against Applicant	Tax Unpaid	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
2.b–2.c	2 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (against the applicant). (low confidence)	Against Applicant			—	—	—

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: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on allegations of criminal conduct, including assault and fraud. The applicant's serious offenses and connections to family members in Iraq were deemed to pose security concerns that were not mitigated, resulting in a denied clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Offense	Criminal disposition	Response	Disqualifying (¶31)	Mitigating applied (¶32)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant was arrested and charged with Assault Causing Bodily Injury to a Family Member; In December 2018, Applicant was arrested and charged with Felony Fraud and False Statements.	Against Applicant	Assault or Battery	Convicted	Admitted	(a) pattern of minor offenses casting doubt on judgment/reliability (b) evidence of criminal conduct, regardless of charge or conviction	—	—
1.b–1.c	2 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (against the applicant). (low confidence)	Against Applicant		—		—	—	—

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.