Tells fed court ‘no excuse’ for taking nearly $1M from sick pal
just a 5% chance of recovery, was kept in the dark about his lawyer’s legal issues.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Ferreyra, the father of two girls, spent months working in the recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
The ailing cop, diagnosed with cancer in 2005, endured endless rounds of treatment — from multiple surgeries to chemotherapy, from a stem cell transplant to radiation. Despite their long friendship, Ferreyra recalled, the scheming lawyer never apologized for his treachery.
“He was almost happy to be caught,” said the former cop. “He said, ‘I’m surprised it took me this long to be caught.’ ”
A fellow 9/11 first responder steered the scammed Ferreyra to attorney Michael Barash, who has represented thousands of 9/11 victims. The lawyer said it quickly became clear that his client was fleeced by the unscrupulous Vila, who filed Ferreyra’s claim back in May 2013, according to court papers.
“This guy is a common thief,” said Barash, who handled the case pro bono. “This was blood money. [Ferreyra] almost died. What he went through, no one should go through. There are no excuses.”
Barash added that the New York Lawyers Fund granted a $400,000 award to Ferreyra to help with his financial issues.
Vila spent 20 years with the NYPD, working as an undercover investigator before promotions to sergeant and then lieutenant. According to an online resume, he served as a commanding officer for two detective squads and as an advisor to Police Commissioner William Bratton in the 1990s.