A close up shot of a pair of handcuffs on a table.
LOS ANGELES - A former Southern California member of two white supremacist groups agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to lying about his past in order to get a security clearance and a job with a defense contractor, federal authorities said.
Decker Ramsay, 23, of Rolling Hills, agreed to plead guilty to making a false statement in 2018 on a questionnaire used by the government as part of its background check of prospective federal employees and contractors, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office.
Ramsay did obtain the required national security clearance for the job.
The name of the defense contractor wasn't released but it is a corporation that concentrates on weapons, military and commercial electronics, according to court documents cited by the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
In his plea agreement, Ramsay acknowledged falsely claiming that “he had never been a member of an organization that advocates or practices commission of acts of force or violence to discourage others from exercising their constitutional rights," the statement said.
However, Ramsay is a former member of two white supremacist groups, Vanguard America and Aryan Underground, the statement said.
Ramsay agreed to plead guilty later. He could face up to five years in federal prison.