A disbarred New York attorney was charged for allegedly stealing around $1 million from his client’s 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Gustavo L. Vila, 62, failed to distribute the money received from the fund to his client, a retired NYPD officer who suffered several life-threatening medical conditions, including cancer, as a result of the work he did during the 9/11 attacks. Vila represented the retired officer from 2012 to 2019, despite being disbarred in 2015, the Justice Department said. (RELATED: Trump Signs 9/11 First Responders Relief Bill)
Disbarred attorney charged in White Plains federal court for stealing 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund money https://t.co/8IIOabU24A
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) September 3, 2020
“Vila allegedly attempted to profit off of the suffering of a retired NYPD officer who risked his life at Ground Zero,” said DOJ-OIG Fraud Detection Office Special Agent in Charge Kenneth R. Dieffenbach. “Because of Vila’s alleged greed, the victim never received about $1 million he was awarded from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.”
Vila’s client was awarded over $1 million from the Victim Compensation Fund in 2013, and the money was deposited directly into Vila’s bank account, which was controlled by his law firm. Vila was ordered to keep 10% of the funds for his attorney’s fees and distribute the money to his client, which he failed to do.
The client was told from 2016 to 2020 that the Victim Compensation Fund hadn’t distributed his money yet, despite the fact that all the money was deposited into Vila’s bank account in 2016.
Vila was charged with theft of government funds and, if convicted, could face a maximum of 10 years in prison.