DHS Background Investigator Arrested During Prostitution Sting

The Bloomington Police Department in Minnesota were conducting a prostitution sting operation that caught an unexpected client a few weeks ago. During the sting an undercover officer was contacted by Brashad Johnson and offered $100 for sex. He was subsequently arrested after entering the hotel where the UC agreed to meet, and charged with hiring or agreeing to hire to engage in prostitution.

What is unusual about this arrest is that Johnson is a contractor background investigator who worked on Department of Homeland Security background investigations, thus he held Top Secret security clearance eligibility, and had to have been briefed on behaviors that could jeopardize his clearance. He knew that what he was doing was criminally illegal and not in alignment with SEAD 4 (National Security Adjudicative Guidelines).

Even though it is practiced across the entire country, prostitution is illegal in the United States. There are countries where it is legal and regulated. Regardless of where it occurs, soliciting a prostitute is never a good idea for someone who has a security clearance. Sexual behavior that could make one vulnerable to coercion or exploitation that is also criminal in nature reflects a lack of discretion or judgement and is a serious security concern. This activity could also fall under personal criminal conduct guidelines. I would venture to guess that if his company was made aware of the arrest, his clearance eligibility has been suspended pending further review and adjudication.