"Officials: 51 Florida airport workers gave false information to get their jobs"

Thursday, February 13, 2003

Officials: 51 Florida airport workers gave false information to get their
jobs
The Fort Lauderdale (FL) Sun-Sentinel


TAMPA -- Fifty-one current and former workers at four Florida airports have
been indicted on charges they gave false information to get their jobs or
security badges, federal authorities said Thursday.

The charges this week are the latest in a series of stings at airports
across the country that have netted hundreds of people alleged to have given
false information to obtain security clearances and jobs at airports.
 
The latest investigations in ``Operation Tarmac'' focused on workers at
Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Sarasota Bradenton international airports.
Investigators said none of those indicted appear to have ties to terrorists.

``We screened well over 20,000 airport employees and I want to stress that
just over 50 were found to have improper identification,'' said Paul Perez,
U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida.

He said that shows that most major airports in the area ``are doing a good
job of screening their employees and ensuring the safety of the traveling
public.''

As of noon Thursday, 32 of the 51 people indicted have been arrested, he
said. Employees ranged from custodians to security baggage screeners.

Perez said that this investigation had been going on for the last four
months.

In the past year, similar arrests have been made in cities across the
nation, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Denver and Miami.


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