New York D.A. Has Charged 12 People with Stealing Money From Two Charities
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Word that at least 12 people, including several Port Authority staffers, have been arrested. For more on that and the reasons why, let's check with our Deborah Feyerick who is in New York. Deb, hello.</s>DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Daryn. Well, even with something like the World Trade Center tragedy, the government says there still people trying to take advantage and make a quick buck. The district attorney charged 12 people with stealing money from two charities, the Red Cross and Safe Haven. The people in question worked with the Port Authority, the agency that owns the Twin Towers and the land. Prosecutors say that these men and women claimed that they were out of work, even though these prosecutors say -- the Port Authority says they were being paid all the time. One woman we spoke to who was charged spent two days in jail. She was arraigned and left just a little bit ago. She said she was going down the stairs of World Trade Center, one World Trade Center on the day of the attacks. She fell, she hurt her leg, she told us, and when she went to Red Cross, she said they told her she could definitely apply. She has resigned. She said what the Port Authority is doing not right. The port authority lost 75 people. Their offices completely destroyed. The chief investigator said he's sick that people would try to cheat the real victims. The Port Authority right now is asking all charities for the names of employees of theirs who have applied to get money. This is an aggressive investigation right now. In another scam, four people have been charged with ripping off FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The people in that claim the apartments were damaged. The government says the apartments weren't damaged at all. The amounts we're talking are about 1,000- 3,000 dollars. The district attorney say if these people are convicted, he's not even sure that any of them will serve jailtime -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: And why would that be? if they were convicted, why wouldn't they serve jail time?</s>FEYERICK: Well, the amounts we're talking about, the top amount is $3,000. So in the realm of everything, it's not a huge crime, but this is being prosecuted because of the principle of it all, so many real victims out there, that anyone would even try to take advantage, that is looked at very seriously by the district attorney.</s>KAGAN: Yes, it sure does kind of burst the bubble of good feeling that has surrounded especially New York City since the disaster, for one man helping out another. Deborah Feyerick in New York. Deborah, thank you very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com