FBI probe continues with inquiries into businesses

The federal probe into possible corruption in the city's government continued last weekend, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued subpoenas to a number of businesses associated with the Philadelphia International Airport.

The FBI demanded documentation from AAT Corporation, a St. Louis-based wireless communications company, and, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Marketplace/Redwood, a partnership which helps run the airport's retail and food operations.

AAT Corporation has been working for the airport since 2001. It has managed the wireless towers on the property, and has helped to get carriers such as Verizon to use the towers, according to AAT spokesman Peter Abel.

AAT has "retained Keystone [Information and Financial Services Inc.] as a broker," in the Philadelphia area, Abel said.

Keystone is run by Imam Shamsud-din Ali, a Mayor John Street supporter and prominent Muslim leader. Both Keystone and Ali were investigated by the FBI in October when the probe first became public.

"Our use of brokers is a consistent practice," Abel added, saying that they were useful in identifying possible clients in cities where AAT did not have extensive contacts.

Though AAT has more than 8,000 contracts across the country, it has only five in the Philadelphia area, and all five have been facilitated by Keystone.

Keystone also has a contract with the Philadelphia government. Street commissioned Keystone to help the government collect outstanding business taxes in 2002.

But AAT officials were introduced to Keystone at a communications tower industry trade show back in the late 1990s, Abel said.

"They were introduced as a company that had multiple contacts with property owners. Based on the credentials they seemed to bring to the table... we entered into an agreement," he added.

Though Abel said AAT has "no reason to believe that our company is a target or even a subject of the investigation," he would not speculate about whether the subpoenas were related to their work with Keystone.

Officials from Keystone did not return calls for comment.

Leesa Williams, spokeswoman for Marketplace/Redwood, the other company brought under the umbrella of FBI investigation this week, said that she "had been advised by counsel not to make any comments" on possible subpoenas.

Marketplace/Redwood has a 10-year contract with the city that ends in 2008.

Airport spokesman Mark Pesce said that the firm paid the airport $8 million last year as part of the contract.

Additionally, on Monday, Airport Director of Aviation Charles Isdell Jr. recused himself from any work that involved Marketplace/Redwood, because his brother John works for the firm.

Isdell similarly recused himself from duties involving Elliot-Lewis, a computer systems firm, because his son Kevin now works for that company.

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