Former New York police officers charged over 9/11 fraud
Eighty retired New York police officers and firefighters are charged with falsely claiming to have been traumatised by the 9/11 terrorist attacks so they could receive disability benefits.
Prosecutors say the former public sector employees claimed they were unable to work because of post-traumatic stress disorder and qualified for benefits worth up to $50,000 a year. Overall, the scam is said to have cost the taxpayer $400m.
Images are said to show some of the alleged fraudsters jet skiing, flying helicopters and practising martial arts.
Ongoing fraud
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said: “The brazenness is shocking … if you’re ‘disabled’ and running around running a judo studio, that’s brazen.”
Four men are believed to have masterminded the fraud, which began years before the 2001 al-Qaeda attacks, teaching claimants how to feign mental illness so they could access benefits.
Mr Vance said: “Since at least 1988, these men are charged with coaching hundreds of individuals on how to convince the Social Security Administration that they are unable to work at any job because they suffer a psychiatric condition and are, therefore, entitled to monthly disability payments.”
The four men charged with organising the scheme include a retired New York police officer, a detectives’ union official, a pension consultant and a lawyer.
‘Disgust’
Newly appointed New York police Commissioner Bill Bratton said he could “only express disgust” at the actions of the suspects.
“The idea that many of them chose the events of 9/11 to claim as the basis for their disability brings further dishonour to themselves,” he said.
In all, 106 defendants are being charged with grand larceny and attempted grand larceny and face a range of jail sentences if convicted.
Almost 3,000 people died in the 9/11 attacks, including 343 firefighters and 60 police officers.