Man jailed for fake 9/11 claim
2003-11-08 14:22
New Jersey - A man who claimed his wives were killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York was sentenced to 10 years in state prison.
Mark Christopher, 39, pleaded guilty in September to theft and other charges.
He admitted that he filed for disaster relief from various agencies claiming his wife had been killed in the attacks.
For some filings, he said he used his own name and claimed his wife was named Kim Christopher. For others, he claimed his name was Mark Palmerri and his wife was Lisa Palmerri.
Authorities said he tried to get more than $140 000 in survivor benefits for the two fictitious wives.
Christopher was arrested in January 2002 as he left a cheque-cashing office with money he received from a $32 980 relief cheque from the Red Cross.
- AP