9/11 'HERO' CHARGED IN 40G SCAM

9/11 'HERO' CHARGED IN 40G SCAM By BRAD HAMILTON and GINGER OTIS New York News New York City News NY News:

By BRAD HAMILTON and GINGER OTIS
July 15, 2007 -- A self-proclaimed Ground Zero hero who says he and his golden retriever rescued victims from the World Trace Center rubble has been charged with fraud for allegedly ripping off $40,000 in federal relief funds.

Scott Shields could face up to 35 years in jail after a Manhattan grand jury indicted him and his sister last month for allegedly swiping rental-assistance money from FEMA and other agencies.

Shields showed up in the days after the attack, accompanied by Bear, his cancer-stricken canine, but the dog was too sick to do any real work, and the two were on hand only for 'a couple of days,' according to a former NYPD officer.

'There's something wrong with the guy,' said Lt. Dan Denadio, who as head of the NYPD's K-9 unit spent nine months at Ground Zero. 'I don't know how he got so far.'

Shields claims he and Bear 'made the only live finds' at the site.

'Nonsense,' Denadio said.

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