Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A couple who allegedly crashed this week 's state dinner at the White House met President Obama in a reception line at the event , a White House official told CNN on Friday . A White House photograph taken Tuesday evening shows Michaele Salahi , wearing a gold-accented red sari , clasping her hands around Obama 's right hand as her smiling husband , Tareq , looks on . The dinner was held for visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , who is smiling next to the president in the photo . An investigation into Tareq and Michaele Salahi has found that Secret Service agents did not follow protocol at a security checkpoint , the Secret Service said . `` The Secret Service is deeply concerned and embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding the State Dinner on Tuesday , '' the agency said in a statement Friday . `` The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint , verifying that two individuals were on the guest list . '' The Salahis , who are aspiring reality TV stars , made news when they showed up at Tuesday 's state dinner . The White House says the Salahis were not invited , but their lawyer , Paul W. Garner , `` states emphatically that the Salahis did not ` crash ' this event , '' according to a statement from the couple 's publicist , Mahogany Jones . The Secret Service 's statement says that although the Salahis went through magnetometers and other levels of screening , `` they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely . '' `` That failing is ours , '' the statement said . The investigation continues and `` appropriate measures have been taken to ensure this is not repeated , '' the agency said . Also Friday , two Secret Service agents visited a Virginia winery to say they wanted to question the couple , according to the winery 's manager . Diane Weiss , manager at the Oasis Winery in Hume , Virginia , said the agents wanted to speak with the Salahis . Weiss said she did n't know their whereabouts . The Warren County Report , a local newspaper , quoted Weiss as saying the agents said they wanted to speak with the couple and not arrest them . It also quoted her as saying that the Salahis live in Linden , Virginia , but receive mail at the winery . And the agents said it was `` imperative '' that investigators speak with the couple and that they would `` take whatever action '' is necessary if they did not , the paper quoted Weiss as saying . Weiss told CNN that the newspaper quoted her accurately , but she declined to elaborate . Meanwhile , court records have revealed a more complete picture of the Salahis , who have left an extensive paper trail in federal bankruptcy and state court filings . They are named in at least 16 different civil suits in Fauquier County , Virginia , near Washington , sometimes as plaintiffs , sometimes as defendants . Family members have sued the county and each other . The family winery , Oasis Winery , has sued Michaele Salahi . They did not respond to CNN requests for comment Thursday about their legal history or the White House dinner . `` At this time the Salahis will not make any formal comments regarding the rumors and media speculation surrounding the White House State Dinner , '' Jones , their publicist , said in a statement . Tareq and Michaele Salahi were engaged in a long court battle with his parents over the winery . Tareq Salahi sued his mother , Corinne , court records show , and the suit was dismissed . The mother sued Tareq Salahi and the case went to trial . The outcome is not clear from a Virginia courts Web site . Tareq and Michaele Salahi won control of the winery in 2007 , but it has run into debt since then . Oasis Winery filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February of this year , according to U.S. Bankruptcy Court records in the Eastern District of Virginia . Tareq Salahi is listed as company president in the filing . Listed creditors include the IRS , Fauquier County , the state of Virginia , several banks and American Express Corp. , among others . The company claims about $ 335,000 in assets and $ 965,000 in liabilities .