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ISCR Case 25-00919 — CASE

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ISCR Case 25-00919

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/4/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Richard A. Cefola
Government Counsel: Daniel P. O'Reilley
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 34-year-old employee of a defense contractor who had held a security clearance since June 2016. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guidelines H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse) and E (Personal Conduct). The core allegations included the applicant's long-term use of marijuana, as well as the falsification of information on his security clearance applications regarding illegal drug use.
The applicant admitted to using marijuana for approximately 13 years, including while holding a security clearance, and acknowledged past use of LSD and hallucinogenic mushrooms. He also admitted to falsifying his August 2015 and May 2023 e-QIPs by denying any illegal drug use. Although he initially stated he intended to continue using marijuana, he later denied this intent during the hearing. The administrative judge found that the applicant's continued drug use and admissions of falsification raised significant security concerns.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to mitigate the concerns related to drug involvement and personal conduct. The judge emphasized that the applicant's behavior, including ongoing drug use and willful falsifications, cast doubt on his reliability and trustworthiness, ultimately determining that granting security clearance was not consistent with national interest.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline EPersonal Conduct · Against Applicant
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 25-00919

deniedMar 4, 2026· Hon. Richard A. Cefola· hearing

Summary

A 34-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) and Guideline E (Personal Conduct). The applicant admitted to long-term marijuana use, which occurred with varying frequency, mostly on weekends, from approximately January 2012 until October 2025. This included use while employed in a sensitive position from June 2016 until October 2025.

Additionally, the applicant falsified two e-QIP security clearance applications. Specifically, he falsified his August 2015 e-QIP and his May 2023 e-QIP by denying illegal drug use while possessing a security clearance. Although he initially admitted an intent to continue using marijuana, he later denied this at the hearing.

The administrative judge determined that the applicant's admissions of ongoing drug use, including marijuana while holding a security clearance, combined with the willful falsification of his security clearance applications, demonstrated a lack of reliability and trustworthiness. These factors led to the denial of his security clearance eligibility.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to using marijuana and other drugs over a significant period, including while holding a security clearance.
The applicant falsified his security clearance applications by denying illegal drug use, which was found to be willful falsification.
The applicant intended to continue using marijuana, raising concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)appliedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)appliedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance
AG ¶ 25(f)appliedIllegal Drug Use While Holding a Security Clearance
AG ¶ 16(a)appliedDeliberate Omission or Falsification of Relevant Facts

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJul 29, 2025
Answer filedSep 10, 2025
Hearing heldFeb 3, 2026
Decision dateMar 4, 2026

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Ongoing Drug Use While Holding a Clearance
Falsification of Security Clearance Applications as a Disqualifying Factor
Lack of Mitigating Conditions for Drug Involvement and Personal Conduct 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 E (Personal Conduct) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on allegations of falsification related to illegal drug use on two e-QIPs. The applicant admitted to falsifying information regarding his drug use while holding a security clearance, which the judge deemed willful and not mitigated.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Conduct	Concealed Issue	Response	Disqualifying (¶16)	Mitigating applied (¶17)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant falsified his May 2023 e-QIP regarding illegal drug use while possessing a security clearance.	Against Applicant	Falsification Security FormFOUND DELIBERATE	Drug Involvement	Admitted	(a) deliberate omission, concealment, or falsification on a security form (c) credible adverse information across areas supporting a whole-person concern (f) violation of a written commitment made as a condition of employment	—	—
2.b	Applicant falsified his August 2015 e-QIP regarding illegal drug use.	Against Applicant	Falsification Security FormFOUND DELIBERATE	Drug Involvement	Admitted	(a) deliberate omission, concealment, or falsification on a security form (c) credible adverse information across areas supporting a whole-person concern (f) violation of a written commitment made as a condition of employment	—	—

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 used marijuana with varying frequency, mostly on weekends, from January 2012 until October 2025, including while holding a sensitive position. The applicant also admitted intent to continue using marijuana but later denied this intent at the hearing. The decision was ultimately denied due to unresolved security concerns regarding drug involvement.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant used marijuana with varying frequency, mostly on weekends, from about January 2012 until October 2025.	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Frequent	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia (f) any illegal drug use while holding a clearance or sensitive position	—	—
1.b	Applicant used marijuana while employed in a sensitive position from June 2016 until October 2025.	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Frequent	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia (f) any illegal drug use while holding a clearance or sensitive position	—	—
1.c	Applicant admitted intent to continue using marijuana in the future but later denied this intent at the hearing.	Against Applicant	Stated Intent to Use Again	Not Applicable	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia (f) any illegal drug use while holding a clearance or sensitive position	—	—

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.