Summary
A 30-year-old structural analyst was denied a security clearance due to significant concerns under Guidelines E (Personal Conduct), F (Financial Considerations), J (Criminal Conduct), and M (Use of Information Technology). The applicant engaged in serious criminal conduct by stealing $40,000 from a deceased client's mutual fund account, transferring the funds to his personal checking account using his employer's information technology system. This act demonstrated questionable judgment and dishonesty.
Additionally, the applicant falsified his security clearance application (SF 86) by omitting a prior termination from an investment company for unauthorized absence. While some employment-related concerns, specifically regarding unreliability and unwillingness to comply with rules that led to two job terminations, were mitigated, the core issues of the $40,000 theft and the falsification of his SF 86 were not.
The decision to deny the clearance was based on the unmitigated theft of funds and the deliberate omission of a termination from his application.
Why the Applicant Was Denied
- The applicant stole $40,000 from a deceased client's account using his employer's information technology system.
- He was fired from two jobs for absenteeism and failure to follow rules.
- He disclosed only one firing on his security clearance application (SF 86).
- The theft and falsification of his SF 86 were not mitigated.
Conditions Referenced
- JraisedCriminal Conduct
- EraisedPersonal Conduct
- MraisedMisuse of Information Technology Systems
- FraisedFinancial Considerations
- EappliedPersonal ConductConcerns arising from the employment record were mitigated by the passage of time without similar conduct.
Key Rule Quoted
“[N]o one has a 'right' to a security clearance.”
Procedural Posture
- SOR issuedMar 18, 2004
- Answer filedMar 26, 2004
- Hearing heldOct 21, 2004
- Decision dateJan 27, 2005
Cite For
- Disqualifying Conditions Under Guidelines J, E, M, and F Due to Serious Criminal Conduct and Falsification of Application.
- Mitigation of Employment-related Concerns Under Guideline E Due to the Passage of Time Without Similar Conduct.
- The Importance of Full Disclosure on Security Clearance Applications.