[url]http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/728450/posts[/url]

Strange, I thought there was a limit to how much you can take out in a 24-hour period.

Normally there would be a limit, but the computer system was damaged, and out of the goodness of the credit unions hearts for the 9/11 workers, the system was disabled, the alternative was to prevent all withdrawls. Just to show you that there are some people out who just plain unethical and immoral, and to take advantage of someone that is down. BUT the long arm of the law will catchup with them
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Los Angeles Times: Post-9/11 Thefts From ATM Lead to N.Y. Arrests

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[url]http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fraud6aug06.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dnation%2Dmanual[/url]

THE NATION
Post-9/11 Thefts From ATM Lead to N.Y. Arrests
Crime: Up to 4,000 people may have been involved in stealing up to $15 million
from a credit union, authorities say. Sixty-two people have been held.
By JOHN J. GOLDMAN
TIMES STAFF WRITER

August 6 2002

NEW YORK -- Up to 4,000 people are being investigated for allegedly stealing $15
million from a credit union during the confusion after the terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Center, prosecutors said Monday.

So far, 62 people have been arrested, and authorities are seeking 39 others in
the widening inquiry. Many are New York City employees.

Manhattan Dist. Atty. Robert M. Morgenthau called the scheme one of the largest
fraud cases to emerge in the aftermath of the collapse of the twin towers Sept.
11. He added that the $15 million was a "hard figure" and not a "pie-in-the-sky"
estimate.

At a news conference with Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Morgenthau said
the attack damaged the Municipal Credit Union's ability to ensure that members'
accounts contained sufficient funds to cover withdrawals from the credit union's
automated teller machines.

The credit union's computer system, in a building near the trade center,
suffered power outages and phone problems after the attack. But credit union
officials decided not to shut down the ATM operation, recognizing that doing so
could cause even more hardship for members affected by the tragedy.

"This is a prime example of 'no good deed goes unpunished,' " Morgenthau said.
"People took advantage."

Authorities said some credit union members who were arrested withdrew the
maximum of $500 a day when their accounts had minuscule balances.

Some went on spending sprees for jewelry, liquor, clothing, shoes, leather goods
and electronic equipment.

"People tried to profit from the confusion," Kelly said. " ... For a while, they
got away with it."

Authorities said a nurse at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center made 54 withdrawals
from automated teller machines starting seven days after the attacks, even
though her balance was already overdrawn. By the end of October, the nurse had
collected $18,111--which she never arranged to pay back.
-- continued --

An employee of the New York City Housing Authority, whose credit union balance
during the eight months before the attack never exceeded $130, allegedly made 53
withdrawals and then used a Visa card to make 101 purchases. He owes the credit
union $10,378.

A Police Department school safety agent who never had more than $245 in her
account in the eight months before Sept. 11 used ATM machines 80 times and took
out $11,344, authorities said. She allegedly made multiple withdrawals on some
days.

Those arrested included employees of the Board of Education, the transit
authority, the Department of Health and the Housing Authority.

Each had taken advantage of the credit union's operational problems to withdraw
at least $7,500 in the weeks after the attacks.

When the losses were discovered in October, people who had overdrawn their
accounts were offered loan repayment agreements by the credit union. Those who
refused to sign or ignored notices from a collection agency were arrested. They
were charged with third-degree grand larceny, which is punishable by up to seven
years in prison.

The investigation began in November when credit union officials approached
police, the city's Department of Investigation and the Manhattan district
attorney's office.

Prosecutors and police said the arrests announced Monday were just the most
prominent part of the problem. Audits have found that more than 1,700 members
overdrew their accounts by at least $3,000, and more than 4,000 by at least
$1,000.

A large number have made few or no repayments.

Morgenthau estimated those who were arrested or were being sought withdrew about
$800,000.

"It was a free ride.... Some started off small. Then they started taking the
maximum they could," the district attorney said.

If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at
latimes.com/archives. For information about reprinting this article, go to
www.lats.com/rights.

Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Times

These are all "steady", trusworthy, city employees, who can be counted on to do the right thing.

Surely they will come through with the money, as soon as they get a special disaster adjustment in their wages to cover it all
[rolleyes]

I wonder how many actual of these jerkoffs actually had some kind of financial emergency directly connected to 9/11.  5%?