AFP officer's lies about links to criminals, drugs ended illustrious career

Daniel Robert David Jones could have told the truth about his criminal associations and prior drug use. He could have just ticked the right boxes on a security clearance form when he applied to join the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

But he didn’t, and while his lies initially allowed him to have an illustrious career as an AFP protective services officer, during which he was recognised twice for his bravery, they ultimately saw him lose his job as well as his freedom, spending a month behind bars being called a “f-ing pig”.

On Monday (15 July), the 30-year-old pleaded guilty to making a false statement for a statutory declaration and giving false information for a security clearance.

He was 26 in 2019 when he filled out a security clearance questionnaire as part of his application to join the AFP, in which he lied about having engaged in unlawful activities, having contact with anyone involved in crime, being associated with a gang member and using illegal drugs.

He signed the declaration, was offered a job in 2020 and was first stationed at Parliament House.

But Jones had previously used and possessed drugs, knew about a contact’s serious drug charges and drug trafficking operation, and had associated with a member of the ACT Comancheros.

A police raid in Queensland in 2017 uncovered about 7.3 kg of the amphetamine MDA that was tied to a contact of his, a person who was later convicted and sentenced to jail. Police found there had been 1305 calls or texts between the pair’s phones.

In 2018, when the bikie-busting Taskforce Nemesis was investigating the ACT Comanchero member for alleged drug dealing, they found he had missed calls on his phone from Jones, who was saved in his contacts as ‘Danny Jones’.

Then, in 2023, police intercepted a conversation between him and another member of the AFP, in which he said he was able to buy a house because he was “a drug dealer”, then laughed. Later that year, police also intercepted a call in which he talked about recently being offered cannabis.

“We were there smelling weed, reminiscing on days when we could get away with smoking weed,” he said.

In another intercepted conversation, he said, “I think I’ve done heroin; it was in a pinger once”.

At the end of 2023, an undercover police officer spoke to Jones, pretending to be interested in joining the AFP and wondering what she had to declare when applying to join.

“To be honest, just think about it, like, smartly. Like, no one’s going to f-ing know,” he told her.

When she asked about what he had written in his application, he told her, “My whole plan was just to play dumb”.

On Monday (15 July), Peter Woodhouse of Aulich told the ACT Magistrates Court that his client spent 30 days in custody on remand in “quite harrowing” circumstances before he was granted bail.

He said news articles were published by the time he arrived at the Alexander Maconochie Centre that identified him as a police officer, which meant he was placed in segregation to keep him safe from other inmates. He spent 23 hours a day in his cell.

When he came into contact with other inmates, he was verbally abused, was called a “f-ing pig” or told, “We know you’re a cop”.

Mr Woodhouse said his client’s crimes involved a failure to admit past conduct, and there was no evidence to suggest his actions caused any harm or that he misused his position once he became a member of the AFP.

He had been given two bravery citations while an officer for his part in quashing a riot at Christmas Island and for helping rescue a family dog in a house fire that broke out at the home of a government official.

The offhand comments he made about dealing drugs were him “trying to be funny”, Mr Woodhouse said, and the court could not find he was actually involved in drug trafficking.

The AFP terminated his job, and he restarted his electrician apprenticeship.

The prosecutor argued his offences involved a significant breach of trust and struck at the integrity of the security clearance process, allowing him to work in locations like Parliament House and access sensitive information.

Magistrate Jane Campbell convicted Jones and sentenced him to seven months’ jail, immediately suspended for a 12-month recognisance release order.