Woodlands Man Sentenced to Prison for Using Fake CIA Credentials

HOUSTON—Paul Alan White, aka Jonathan Alan Davenport, 57, of The Woodlands, has been ordered to prison following his two convictions of impersonated a public servant, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Davenport pleaded guilty Tuesday, April 3, 2013.

Today, U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr., who accepted the guilty plea, handed White a sentence of 24 months on each of the two counts of conviction, to be served concurrently. He was further ordered to pay a $500 fine. In handing down the sentence, Judge Werlein noted to the defendant that the worthiness of what a person is is not gauged by what title they seek.

White posed as a CIA agent to others at different times during 2011 and 2012 in order to obtain personal information from individuals and to have authorities give him privileges as well as official record documents.

During March 2011, White had convinced a co-worker that he worked with Special Ops within the CIA and that the co-worker had to fill out an application form for a security clearance with the CIA. White apparently obtained the form from the Internet. The co-worker completed the form, which included personal information, such as names of family members and friends, education, employment history, and personal identification data such as a Social Security number, a Texas driver’s license number, and a U.S. passport number. As directed by White, the co-worker also ordered his/her own credit report and gave White a copy of his/her passport.

The next month, White also attempted to recruit the co-worker’s friend from the co-worker’s Facebook site by using an alias. White reported to be conducting a reference check and also tried to recruit him/her for a position with the CIA. At the request and demand of White, pretending to act as an agent under the authority of the CIA, the friend sent the security clearance form via Fed-Ex with his/her personal information on it, along with a copy of his/her birth certificate, Social Security card, driver’s license, and passport.

Also that month, White introduced himself to Texas Department of Public Safety troopers as an agent working for the CIA. White showed a badge and a credential thought to be from the CIA and stated he had retired from CIA and was rehired to run “backgrounds” on people. White, while pretending to be an officer and employee of the United States, asked the trooper to run a criminal history check on his co-worker. White represented the request as an “official request” from a CIA officer. The trooper complied with White’s request and provided the result.

Later, the CIA was contacted to conduct a check for any and all employment either directly or indirectly of White, aka Davenport. The CIA confirmed he did not work for the agency in any capacity. A search warrant was executed at White’s home revealed several false and fraudulent purported official U.S. government identifications and badges allegedly belonging to the CIA.

White will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Porto is prosecuting the case.