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Jury finds naval officer guilty in 9/11 fraud case
Posted: Aug 29, 2011 2:36 PM by Matt Stafford
WASHINGTON (AP) - A retired naval officer honored for his valor during the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon has been found guilty of defrauding the victims' compensation fund by exaggerating his injuries.
A jury found retired Cmdr. Charles Coughlin guilty Monday of fraud and stealing public money after he got $331,034 from the fund set up by Congress after the 2001 attacks.
Coughlin's claim said he was in constant pain after being injured twice on Sept. 11 - first when objects fell on him when a hijacked plane struck the building and later when he went back inside to rescue others and hit his head. But prosecutors say he continued playing lacrosse and ran a marathon after the attacks and lied when he claimed he needed surgery.
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