To Protect, Serve And, In Some Cases, Scam

When the fraud case involving over a 100 New York City Police and  Firefighters was made known last week I was  disheartened like everyone else  and more hardened by the hypocrisy we see in every sector of our society.

During the crisis in 2001 police and fire personnel were in an “all hands on deck” mode. I still have vivid memories of them sifting through the broken bodies and debris holding out hope that maybe one survivor  might be found or one more positive identification might be made so that families would be able to gain some level of closure for their loved ones.

The bravery of the first responders  on that day – walking into the most ominous of circumstances was of Herculean proportions. Who would have ever ventured  the irreverent thought that some of  these individuals would have the temerity to game the system and tarnish the image of New York City’s Finest and Bravest.

 “As a New Yorker, as a U.S. citizen, I can only express disgust at the actions of these individuals involved in this scheme, particularly the 72 former members of the New York City Police Department who have certainly disgraced themselves, embarrassed their families, with their abuse of this system,” Police Commissioner William Bratton said at a recent news conference. “The idea that many of them chose the events of 9/11 to claim as the basis of the disability brings further dishonor to themselves.”

Those charged received as much as $50,000 a year for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)claims allegedly stemming from the trauma of 9/11. Also, indicted were the facilitators who aided and abetted these miscreants.  They were identified as Raymond Lavallee, 83, a lawyer and former FBI agent and Nassau County prosecutor; Thomas Hale, 89, a disability consultant; John Minerva, 61, a union official for the Detectives’ Endowment Association; and Joseph Esposito, 64, a retired police officer. Lavallee was also chief of the rackets bureau in the Nassau County District Attorney’s office where he probably picked up a few pointers.

According to the prosecutors, the defendants were meticulously instructed on how to fail memory tests with plausibility, how to dress and how to behave. Like the last row  grammar school cheaters we remember  from  our youth, their answers to questions  were practically identical : “I nap on and off during the day;” “I have the TV on to keep me company;” “I’m up and down all night long.” Well, it’s obvious they weren’t the brightest bunch.

But perhaps the saddest  revelation in this sordid affair came from Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, Jr., : “This fraud not only forced federal taxpayers to finance the lifestyles of New York scammers, it also took away, importantly, the already limited resources we have for people who actually suffered from psychiatric disabilities. That includes, of course, the brave first responders who ran toward the fires on September 11th, and who now suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and other serious but very real psychiatric disabilities.”