- DENVER -- A federal grand
jury in Denver has indicted 44 people for using fake green cards and false
IDs to obtain access to the Air Force Academy. Agents arrested 27 of the
44 Tuesday morning.
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- The employees were contract laborers at the academy,
doing construction janitorial and maintenance-type work.
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- According to the accusation, they used the fake IDs to
get on the base to do their jobs.
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- Since Sept. 11, military installations across the country,
including the academy, have increased security, specifically access. Previous
to 9-1-1, contractors were responsible for verifying the credentials of
their employees, but now the military has taken a more proactive approach
to allowing access to base.
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- "No facility that is part of the critical infrastructure
of the United States can be considered secure unless the identity of the
people working there is fully ascertained and those presenting fraudulent
information and documentation in order to gain access to that facility
are removed," United States Attorney John Suthers said. "Those
who illegally gain access to these sensitive installations must be taken
to task."
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- Contract employees' paperwork is also checked and their
criminal records reviewed as a part of the process of issuing security
credentials.
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- This is not the first operation in the area. Last September,
over 100 people working at Denver International Airport were indicted for
using fake social security numbers to get jobs and clearance at the airport.
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- In March, at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming,
30 people were taken into custody from three construction sites on base.
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- The Air Force Academy was among the first military installations
in Colorado to set up a system using law enforcement personnel to check
employee records. Structures critical to U.S. security cannot be considered
secure until the records of all workers are verified, Suthers said. He
said the academy should be applauded for tracking down the illegal workers.
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- "We're pleased that Academy Security Forces were
instrumental in facilitating today's law enforcement operation," said
Col. John Miller, the academy's 10th Air Base Wing Commander.
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- It is anticipated that Tuesday's actions will not be
the last on this scale in the state of Colorado.
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- The investigation was conducted by the Air Force Academy,
the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Social Security
Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Air Force Office of
Special Investigations.
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- Misuse of a social security number, making a false statement,
and misuse of an identification card each carry a penalty of up to 5 years
in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine. Use of a False Identification
Card carries a penalty of up to 3 years in federal prison, and/or a fine
of up to $250,000, and Possession of a False Identification Card carries
a penalty of up to 1 year in federal prison, and/or a $100,000 fine.
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- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright
2003 by 9NEWS KUSA-TV, All Rights Reserved
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