Photographer guilty in Sept. 11 case

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- A free-lance photographer who put on a firefighter's protective gear during the attack on the World Trade Center agreed to surrender rights to film he shot of the devastation.

Steven Ferry, 41, also pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a forged instrument -- a fake driver's license that he had when he was arrested Sept. 13. He was wearing Fire Department coveralls and boots and a Rescue 3 hardhat, apparently equipment from a firefighter who died in the twin towers' collapse Sept. 11.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges that he posed as a firefighter.

Under the deal, Ferry is required to relinquish to the Library of Congress all rights to all photos on about 20 rolls of film of the destruction.

State Supreme Court Justice Leslie Crocker Snyder promised Ferry a sentence of 1,200 hours of community service and five years probation. Ferry could have been sentenced to up to seven years in prison.

Ferry was arrested after he was spotted by several firefighters who had also seen him at ground zero on Sept. 11.

Police said Ferry admitted he had taken the clothing off a Rescue 3 truck without permission. But Ferry claimed he took the equipment just to protect himself, not to get special access to the site.