The victim, ex-NYPD traffic cop John Ferreyra, suffered health problems including cancer as a result of the 12-16 hour days he spent searching for and recovering victims of the Twin Tower bombings.
Ferreyra and his wife were friends with Vila, who lived in Yorktown, had a law practice in Westchester County and was also a retired cop.
In 2012, Vila was retained by Ferreyra and applied to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund on his behalf.
Three years later, the lawyer was disbarred after being charged with grand larceny for keeping a woman’s down payment for a home. He was put on probation the following year after pleading guilty and paying restitution.
The New Jersey Supreme Court has appointed Norberto A. Garcia to serve as trustee of the state's Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, and he's planning on drawing from his background in ethics to give back to the public during his five-year term.