By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
LOWER MANHATTAN — The financial watchdog at the September 11th Families' Association stole more than $17,000 from the nonprofit, prosecutors said this week.
Claudio Tavarez, the 9/11 nonprofit's comptroller, allegedly wrote himself 15 checks from the association's account between July 2009 and April 2010, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said.
To hide the $17,570 theft, Tavarez, 43, a Washington Heights resident, allegedly recorded the checks as expenditures to vendors, the DA said. Tavarez also allegedly signed the association's chief operating officer's name on the checks.
Tavarez was arrested Feb. 15 and charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records. The charges were first reported by the New York Post.
The September 11th Families' Association was founded after 9/11 to support victims of terror attacks and their families. Lee Ielpi, the association's founder, also founded the Tribute WTC Visitor Center on Liberty Street.
Last year, a worker at the Tribute Center was sentenced to six months in jail for stealing $12,700 from the register there.
Tavarez and his lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. The September 11th Families' Association did not respond to a request for comment.
