LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former member of two white supremacist organizations was sentenced today to a two-year probationary term and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service for lying about his past membership in hate groups in order to obtain a security clearance and employment at a defense contractor.
Decker Hayes Ramsay, 23, of Rolling Hills, was also ordered to adhere to a no-contact order regarding the Aryan Underground and Vanguard America white supremacist groups.
In April 2018, Ramsay lied on an online questionnaire used by the government as part of its background investigation of prospective federal employees and contractors. He submitted his false answers on an application for employment at a defense contractor for a job that required him to obtain a national security clearance, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As part of the background check, applicants are required to certify that they understand that false statements can be punished by a fine or imprisonment.
Ramsay pleaded guilty in November to a single federal charge of making false statements, admitting that he lied on the form that he had never been a member of an organization that advocates or practices violence to discourage others from exercising their rights.
In reality, Ramsay previously belonged to Vanguard America, a white supremacist group that opposes multiculturalism and believes that the United States should be an exclusively white nation. He also belonged to Aryan Underground, a white supremacist group established in 2017 that upheld Nazi ideology, papers filed in Los Angeles federal court show.
Ramsay admitted that he lied on the form in order to obtain a job. As a result of his false statement, he obtained a security clearance that he might otherwise not have received had he been truthful about his white supremacist ties, prosecutors said.
Copyright 2021 City News Service, Inc.
Photo: Getty Images
Copyright 2021 City News Service, Inc.