Former medical official stole 9/11 funds

Oct 31,2007 00:00 by UPI

NEW YORK -- A former chief medical examiner of New York City pleaded guilty to embezzling government aid to help identify remains from the Sept. 11 attacks.

Natarajan R. Venkataram and another employee, Rosa Abreu, pleaded guilty Tuesday to channeling millions of dollars of government aid to fraudulent companies, CNN reported.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave the New York City medical examiner’s office more than $46 million for forensic tests to identify human remains at Ground Zero

Vekataram “pled guilty because he is guilty” his lawyer was quoted in CNN.

The government is seeking a 20-year sentence in the case.