"Feds Charge 29 Philadelphia Airport Workers"

Tuesday, November 5, 2002

Feds Charge 29 Airport Workers
By DAVID B. CARUSO
The Associated Press


PHILADELPHIA -- A federal grand jury has indicted 29 current or former
workers at Philadelphia International Airport on charges they lied about
their criminal histories or gave false Social Security numbers when they
applied for security badges, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, federal authorities examined the
records of nearly 15,000 people employed at the airport to ensure that
workers with access to secure areas were properly documented and hadn't been
convicted of serious crimes.

The inspection found 17 workers who didn't disclose convictions for crimes
including weapons offenses, drug possession and theft, prosecutors said.
Most would have been disqualified from getting airport jobs if they had
answered truthfully, authorities said.

One of the men arrested, 29-year-old baggage handler Kyann A. Lewis, of
Philadelphia, had two guns in his home that belonged to a pair of law
enforcement officers who reported the weapons stolen from bags that had been
checked through the airport, prosecutors said.

In addition, 12 food service employees were charged with using false Social
Security numbers on their applications for an airport security badge,
prosecutors said.

"Public safety is our goal and priority, and the public has the right to
expect that those who have access to secure areas of the airport have not
been granted that access under false pretenses," U.S. Attorney Patrick
Meehan said.

Twelve of those indicted were arrested Tuesday. Lewis was taken into custody
last week. The remaining defendants are still at large, prosecutors said.

Similar record checks at airports nationwide have resulted in dozens of
arrests in recent months.

Investigators also allegedly found illegal aliens, and workers who were
fugitives with pending criminal charges. Those cases will be turned over to
other law enforcement agencies, Meehan's office said.

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID8

*****************************************