Former investigator for NSA background checks pleads guilty

[struggle4progress]

Source: Associated Press

Posted: 06/22/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT
Updated: 06/22/2013 12:50:25 AM MDT

WASHINGTON — A former investigator who worked for the firm that conducted a background check on former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden has pleaded guilty to charges of falsifying work on background investigations of other federal workers.

Ramon Davila pleaded guilty Thursday to making a false statement. He did not work on the Snowden background investigation ...



Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_23515763/former-investigator-nsa-background-checks-pleads-guilty

[ReRe]

1. This needs some work...

... maybe a link to another report on the subject.

Says "Ramon Davila pleaded guilty Thursday to making a false statement."

And then in the very next sentence, "He did not work on the Snowden background investigation."

Is that not a bit confusing to anyone else?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Not confusing, but here is some more

he made a false statement about something else. But, since it had already been in the news that the background check firms were being investigated, and some people feel Snowden doesn't strike them as the kind of person they'd personally employ for classified work, they thought this worth reporting.

The U.S. government had indicted Ramon Davila in 2011 for 24 separate offenses related to his work at ManTech MSM Security Services; Systems Application & Technologies; and USIS, which was formerly known as U.S. Investigations Services.

All three are private contractors work on behalf of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

On Thursday, the 59-year-old resident of Fredericksted, St. Croix, confessed only to falsifying an unspecified number of reports of investigation for a year, starting on August 2006.
...
In a statement showing the state of security from the gatekeepers' view, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia called Davila the 16th background-checker prosecuted for false representations in the last four years.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/21/58747.htm

[ReRe]

3. Thanks!

Now that makes more sense.

But personally, I don't believe a thing that comes out of the whole NSA mess. They can make shit up and by God it looks real as you and me. They are in the business of "creating reality", you know, like GOD.

I believe that if it's Corporate, it's a lie.

[Downwinder]

5. From your link.

"The best way to reduce or eliminate such deviations would be to shrink the number of security clearances," Aftergood added. "If there were 1 million cleared persons instead of nearly 5 million, quality control would be improved, along with security more generally."
Davila's sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 3.

------

They could try reducing the amount of secured information.

[Gin]

8. Was he in this country or St. Croix?

Geez......every damn bit of our info is outsourced.


On Thursday, the 59-year-old resident of Fredericksted, St. Croix, confessed only to falsifying an unspecified number of reports of investigation for a year, starting on August 2006.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. For these particular offences, probably in the US

Former V.I. Police Commissioner Ramon Davila indicted by feds

Davila served as police commissioner from 1994 to 1999 after serving for years as a U.S. Customs agent - a position he returned to after leaving his post as police commissioner. Since then, Davila has worked as an investigator, conducting background checks and other investigations on a contract basis. He was listed as the president of Caribbean Research Inc., which listed offices in the Washington, D.C., area and Frederiksted. The Caribbean Research website said the company offers similar services to those which the federal government claimed he did not fulfill in its indictment.

The Daily News attempted to reach Davila through the company, but a person who answered referred all questions to Davila's attorney.

Davila currently is living in the Virgin Islands, Faraj said.

http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/former-v-i-police-commissioner-ramon-davila-indicted-by-feds-1.1213367

The indictment says 'in the District of Columbia and elsewhere': http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/21/Davila%20indictment.pdf

[struggle4progress]

13. St. Croix is part of the US Virgin Islands

[DURHAM D]

11. Run up story here -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/firm-that-did-background-check-on-snowden-is-under-investigation/2013/06/20/1d06c248-d9e1-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_singlePage.html


Prior DU discussion here -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014513837

and here -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023058698

[KoKo]

12. McCaskill was skeptical about use of so many contractors doing background checks..

From one of your links. Hope they are waking up that "Private Contractors" are not the same as Government Workers. They can go rogue and who is checking them?
------------------
McCaskill, chairwoman of the other subcommittee, was skeptical about the use of so many contractors doing background checks. USIS, she said, gets $45 million a year for administrative support “to do office work,” plus “several hundred million dollars a year to do background checks.” It takes 999 people to do the office work; only 35 are federal employees.

“Why are we paying contractors instead of hiring people?” McCaskill wanted to know.

An OPM official said contractors cost less but acknowledged that the agency had no cost-benefit analysis.

[GeorgeGist]

4. Outsourcing National security is foolish.

[ucrdem]

6. Handy though.

Here's a bona fide perp they can put on the stand and dramatically grill, i necessary, but who handily has no knowledge of Snowden's application or the inner workings of the USG or BAH. I'm guessing the details of the case will remain regrettably murky and that Snowden's sentence, if there's actually a trial, will be brief.

[Ash_F]

16. How does one reconcile their hatred of gub'ment workers with the yearning to stomp on throats?

Need bodies to fill those boots. Enter the 'contractor'.

[KansDem]

7. Ah! The "Invisible Hand" at work again!

Nothing like free-market self-regulation...

[freshwest]

17. You win the thread!

[penndragon69]

10. How can this be?

People getting paid to do work that they didn't actually do..
sounds more like CONGRESS to me.

[silvershadow]

14. Wow, they worked on that case with breathtaking speed, I'd reckon, unless I am missing something. nt

[struggle4progress]

15. No: it was an already-existing case, that happens to involve the same subcontractor