Argenbright Security Inc., the largest U.S. airport security firm and provider of those services at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, failed to conduct criminal background checks at 13 airports and lied to federal regulators after paying $1.2 million in fines and fees for similar violations last year, government officials said.

        The Cincinnati airport was not among the 13 airports, although Columbus was. So were Boston's Logan International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, where three of the four jets hijacked Sept. 11 began their flights, according to a complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

        Last year, Argenbright and three former employees in its Philadelphia office were charged with cutting costs by falsifying federally mandated background checks for the security workers it provided under contract to airlines in Philadelphia.

        Argenbright, which has steadfastly maintained the incident was an aberration, pleaded guilty to false-claims charges and the employees pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges.

        “Even though it was sentenced less than a year ago for an astonishing pattern of crimes that potentially jeopardized public safety, and despite this court's order requiring it to fully implement all of the terms and conditions of its probation, defendant Argenbright has failed to do so” and committed more violations, the complaint by U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan said.

        Bill Barbour, Argenbright's president, said the company is already doing many of the things federal officials are seeking, such as 100 percent fingerprinting of all employees.

        The government is seeking to extend the probation to five years from three, require 100 percent criminal background checks on current and future employees and to force Argenbright to cease operations at Philadelphia International Airport until it can show employees have been hired and trained in accordance with U.S. regulations.

        The complaint came as the Senate voted 100-0 to require that only federal employees staff security checkpoints at the nation's airports. Under the current system, airlines hire private firms such as Argenbright for the work.

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