World Trade Center Litigation BLOG

Firefighters National Trust was a non-profit charity that was set up by Stephen Careaga a volunteer firefighter. When the attacks on 9/11 hit, the online charity grossed over $11 million dollars. Careaga was using this new acquired money to support large salaries, extravagant perks, and fund other companies so that extra money could be tied to a legimitate expense. In doing this Careaga denied the vitctims in which the donations were inteded to be foretrying to make a living selling computer software to Firehouses, in which he used Firefighters National Trust to open doors for him. Firefighters National Trust was created so that people could donate to firefighters online and help out the families and victims who were injured when fighting fires. However everything changed when 9/11 happened because in hours after the attack, large sums of money were being donated to the charity. Millions of dollars were being donated in the proceeding hours after the attacks summing up to a total of $11 million dollars being donated. When Careaga first started the charity he was just using it as a medium to sell computer software, but at the end of September the large sum of cash had piled up.

Firefighters National Trust was committed to give 100% of the donations to firefighters’ who had been injured and to their families to help support them. However, when Careaga had access to millions of dollars his mission changed. Careaga’s promises of donations, scholarships, and money that were supposed to go straight to the families of the victims never did so. Instead, large salaries were being issues, New York City marketing campaigns were being drafted, and luxurious perks were being enjoyed from Careaga and his coworkers.

Careaga had set up various businesses to allegedly pay for their services. But what ended up being true is that he was just basically paying himself for things that never occurred. What kept Careaga and the Firefighters National Trust afloat was just enough donations to genuine causes that made him look legitimate. However what got the best of him was his high paying salaries, failing marketing campaigns, and celebrity endorsements. By 2005, he has lost most of the money that was donated to Firefighters National Trust. "They started on a shoestring with not much idea of how they were going to go about running it. And then all of a sudden, they found themselves with far more money than they had ever been expecting," said Eller, a computer programmer involved in Careaga's software company who later became chairman of the charity's board of directors.”

These types of actions that are committed by non-profit companies are what make people question the entire field. For how is a donator supposed to ensure that the money that they are donating actually reaches its intended purpose. Careaga made false promises and never carried out the intentions that were first stated. People who were injured in the attacks of 9/11 have incurred similar problems from donations. The WTC Captive fund was supposed to provide workers who were injured while working onsite. However, this money is still in jeopardy while workers complications are worsening. If you or a loved on was injured while working on the WTC site and developed complications from the toxins in the air, contact Napoli Bern Ripka LLP.