Hats Off: 9/11 Hero Receives $400,000 Check After Getting Scammed From A Friend
Jeff & Aimee are giving a Hats Off to an organization that helped a 9/11 hero!
NYPD officer John Ferreyra was one of the many heroes that helped clean up Ground Zero after the World Trade Center attacks, according to the New York Daily News. Shortly after, Ferreyra got sick from inhaling the toxic carcinogens at Ground Zero.
In 2005, the hero was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
For his heroic efforts, Ferreyra was promised a $1 million dollar check. However, he was scammed out of his compensation by a fellow NYPD officer turned attorney. The former NYPD officer is now facing up to 10 years in prison during his sentencing hearing on Feb. 5, according to the New York Daily News.
To be a light in a dark situation the New York State Lawyers Fund caught wind of the story and presented Ferreyra with a $400,000 check!
“I am both humbled and grateful to finally receive (nearly) half of the award that was given to me for my disabling 9/11 illness,” said Ferreyra in a statement. “It is my hope that no other member of the 9/11 community, or anybody else, ever has to experience what my family and I went through.”
The New York State Lawyers Fund represents its clients by providing financial assistance to those who are victimized.
Gustavo Vila, the NYPD officer who scammed Ferreyra, has pleaded guilty to stealing 90% of Ferreyra’s funds.
