Granted or Denied? Clearance Applicant Fails to Disclose Felony Charges and Debts

I ran across a recent Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals case that made me think just how ridiculously naive the applicant had to be to think he would get security clearance eligibility. After being denied a security clearance by the DoW based on multiple concerns involving criminal conduct, dishonesty, lack of candor, and current and past financial problems, the applicant submitted a 30-page written appeal to DOHA thinking his issues were not that serious and that he should be granted a security clearance. Here are the highlights of his appeal.

The applicant is a 69-year-old government contractor seeking a new security clearance. He previously held a clearance in 2008. He has no military service, has been a licensed minister since 2000, and operates a small IT support business for elderly clients. He has been married and divorced five times and has two adult daughters and an 8-year-old son. While he does not live with his current girlfriend (the mother of his son), he financially supports them by paying their rent.

The applicant has an extensive criminal history, having been arrested on 14 occasions between 1995 and 2024 for various offenses that include writing bad checks, larceny, assault, and numerous traffic violations. He had filed two prior bankruptcies and currently has 23 delinquent debts totaling approximately $67,795. Additionally, he failed to disclose being charged with felony offenses and his current delinquent debts on his SF-86.

Despite the applicant having several character statements from various sources, the judge noted that the applicant is in advanced age, has a long history of criminal conduct and dishonesty, and has repeated his financial irresponsible behavior to date. This was a no-brainer – clearance eligibility denied.