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A $5 million class-action lawsuit filed by security guards at Fort Detrick has been expanded to include their employer's new owner.

The guards, employees of contractor Eagle Technologies of Lanham, claim they were cheated out of promised pay and benefits. After filing the suit in Prince George's County Circuit Court in March, the guards learned Eagle Technologies recently had been acquired by Protection Strategies of Arlington, Va., according to new court filings by the plaintiffs.

The workers are seeking more than $5 million in punitive damages, plus compensatory damages and legal fees.

The guards claim that they worked 12-hour shifts during holidays but were paid for only eight hours of work. They also allege Eagle Technologies failed to compensate them for training, failed to set up 401(k) accounts after collecting money for such accounts and failed to provide them with proper equipment or uniforms.

Protection Strategies "operates with knowledge that [Eagle Technologies] engaged in illegal employment practices," according to the plaintiffs' new filing this month.

Protection Strategies "knowingly, intentionally, willfully ... received [Eagle Technologies'] assets with no intention of properly compensating plaintiffs for the work they performed," the guards claim.

The plaintiffs work as armed guards at Fort Detrick's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center. Eagle Technologies has a five-year, $22 million contract with the base, said plaintiff William Shank of Hagerstown. Eagle Technologies has more than 600 employees, according to Protection Strategies' website.

Shank said up to 40 other officers now are represented in the suit, an increase from the original dozen plaintiffs.

"We are letting taxpayers be aware that they are being cheated by these contractors," Shank said. "We want to correct what has been going on."

Shank said he sought help from Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-Dist. 6) of Buckeystown. In a statement, spokeswoman Lisa Wright said Bartlett sought additional information from all parties involved.

"He was very disappointed that Eagle Technologies was unresponsive to repeated requests from him for information," Wright said.

The officers are represented by the Hermina Law Group of Laurel. John Hermina, a partner, declined to comment on the case.

Officials at neither Eagle Technologies nor Protection Strategies returned phone messages seeking comment. Eagle Technologies is represented by Richard C. Daniels of College Park, who could not be reached for comment.

Privately held Protection Strategies provides security services to federal agencies, including the Departments of State, Defense, Energy and Homeland Security.