New York charges 23 with Sept 11 fraud

Suspected September 11 fraudsters accused of inventing missing relatives to collect charity cash following the World Trade Centre terror attacks were revealed today.

Father-of-12 Cyril Kendall is accused of picking up $190,000 (€216,200) by claiming a fictitious 13th child died in the atrocity while Ricardo Frutos, 48, from Utah, is alleged to have invented a missing brother, niece and nephew and even printed memorials for them in his local paper.

The pair are among 23 people charged with filing false claims of missing relatives to steal $760,000 (€864,762) in charity funds.

One woman claimed she lost her mother in the chaos of the September 11 attacks when she actually died four years ago, authorities allege.

Daniel Djoro, 32, from Michigan is accused of collecting more than $250,000 (€284,440) by reporting his brother had been in the World Trade Centre on business.

Officials allege he defrauded the Red Cross even after it flew him to New York from Michigan and paid for his hotel while it processed his bogus claim.

Leevicy Maupin, 44, from New York, is accused of netting $89,599 dollars (€101,940) from charities after pretending her husband was dead when he was in fact living on Long Island.

‘‘They took advantage of the kindness of strangers at a time of chaos,’’ said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly following the arrests in Operation Vulture Sweep.

The charges range from grand larceny to falsifying business records. Those arrested face up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said: ‘‘These cases demonstrate moral depravity and grotesque self-interest.’’