Disbarred Attorney Charged In White Plains Federal Court For Stealing 9/11 Victim Compensation Funds

On September 3, 2020, a now-disbarred non-DOJ attorney was arrested following a Complaint charging him with one count of theft of government funds. Gustavo Vila was charged in the Southern District of New York.  According to the Complaint, in or about October 2016, while providing legal representation to a retired New York City Police Officer who was a victim of the 9/11 terrorist attack, Vila assisted the retired police officer in applying for and collecting funds from DOJ’s 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.  Villa then stole approximately $900,000 of those funds.  The investigation is being conducted by the OIG’s Fraud Detection Office.