Busted... with an Assist from NICS and IAFIS/IDENT Team

NICS Reaches Milestone

Tuesday, February 12, 2013, marked a milestone for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). At 8:57 that morning, the NICS Section processed its one millionth denial transaction. The transaction originated from a federal firearms licensee in Texas, and it was submitted to the NICS contracted call center on Friday, February 8. It was initially delayed and placed in the NICS delay queue pending further review and research. Additional research conducted within the allotted window of three business days revealed the transaction would be a denial pursuant to a federal firearm prohibition.

From November 30, 1998, when it was established, through mid-morning February 12, 2013, the NICS Section of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division processed 77,411,159 firearm background checks.    

IAFIS/DHS’s IDENT Team Up to Establish Applicant’s Identity 

The Department of State (DOS) Office of Personnel Security and Suitability received an application for employment in the DOS Industrial Security Section. The applicant’s fingerprints were submitted to the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), and because of interoperability, a search of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’) Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) was also initiated. IDENT returned a match to the prints, but with another person’s name. Upon review, it was discovered that there was a Moderate Risk Public Trust position granted for the individual. The Office of Personnel Security and Suitability contacted the DOS Industrial Security Section, and the subject’s access was rescinded because of biometric fraud.