2003-06-06 -- Operation Secured Eagle -- Indictments -- News Release

Employees Arrested, Charged with Using Fake Social Security Numbers for Employment at Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base

TRENTON - Eight workers at U.S. Army Fort Dix and five workers at McGuire Air Force Base were arrested today after they all were charged with using false social security numbers to obtain contractor badges that granted access to secure areas of the military bases, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

All of the employees worked for private contractors and possessed a contractor badge for either Fort Dix or McGuire AFB that granted them general access to all areas of that Base, according to information contained in criminal complaints, Christie said.

The contractors are Andrews & Co., Christi Cleaning, Ranco Construction, Akima Corporation and Embry-Riddle Aviation.

Currently, there is no evidence that any of the individuals charged are related to any terrorist organizations or had any sinister motives. The defendants were arrested this morning at the military installations or elsewhere.

"That these individuals were able to gain access to the military bases as they did obviously raised questions about security at the installations," Christie said. "What's important, however, is that the we and the military commanders at the bases recognized this and plugged the security hole."

The defendants - identified by name, age and employment in an addendum to this release, are charged with falsely representing a social security number as though it were their own government-assigned number to obtain a contractor badge to gain access to the respective bases. The investigation called "Operation Secured Eagle" is continuing and additional arrests are expected according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Alain Leibman.

According to the complaints, in order to obtain a contractor badge for an employee, a contracting vendor at either base was required to complete a criminal background check on the employee. The criminal history check authorization form contained, in addition to other information, the employee's name, date of birth, social security account number and the employee's signature. According to the complaints, the completed forms and the results of the criminal history checks were to be supplied to the Security Forces Police at the base where the employee was to work. After the employer submitted the required background information and the employee signed all paperwork, a contractor badge was issued. The contractor badge was to be carried at all times while present at the base.

This charge - fraudulent use of a social security number - carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Each of the defendants is scheduled to make initial appearances throughout the day in U.S. District Court in Trenton. Most defendants will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. Hughes and Tonianne Bongiovanni in Trenton. Other defendants may appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Newark.

Each of the defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

"Operation Secured Eagle" was a multi-agency task force investigation that reviewed all personnel with access to either of the two military bases. The project was coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alain Leibman of the Government Fraud Unit in the Newark office.

Christie credited the following agencies for their respective roles in the investigation: the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, New Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge James Murawski; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, New York City Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan; the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of Acting Assistant District Director for Investigations Ryan Singleton; Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 307, McGuire AFB, under the command of Lt Col. George Armstrong; New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Colonel Joseph R. Fuentes; the Department of Defense Police, under the direction of Jack Warlow, Chief of Operations, Fort Dix; Army Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Monmouth, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jose Gomez; and the Pemberton Police Department, under the supervision of Chief Steven Emery.

-end-

McGuire AFB Defendants

Maria Both, 29, Andrews & Co.

Atul P. Chakradeo, 31, Embry-Riddle

Romina M. Giminez,26, Akima

Blanca D. Hernandez, 41, Cristi Cleaning

Elvia Schiro, no age available, unidentified vendor

Fort Dix Defendants

Virgilio Calderon, 54, Urucorp

Luis Espinal, No Age Available, Urucorp

Humberto Portuguez, 41, Urucorp

Federico H. Ortiz,22, Avila Construction

Juan Ortiz, 36, Ranco Construction

Ryszard Pulwin, 43, Ranco Construction

Stanislaw Szermuszyn, 44, Marpol/Avila

Miroslaw Szyszko, 42, Marpol/Avila