Misleading Sept. 11 ad angers model

NEW YORK, March 28 (UPI) -- A New York City firefighter says he is outraged that a law firm is using his image in ads seeking to profit from Sept. 11 claims.

The ad for Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern -- which a judge condemned last year for seeking a third of Ground Zero workers' lawsuit settlements -- shows Robert Keiley covered in soot and holding an image of the World Trade Center wreckage under the headline "I was there."

But Keiley, who became a firefighter in 2004, was not there.

He was working as a model when he posed for what he thought was a standard fire-prevention ad, he told the New York Post.

The Twin Towers image was Photoshopped into his hands, he says.

"It's an insult to the Fire Department. It's an insult to all the families who lost people that day," Keiley said. "It makes me look like I'm cashing in on 9/11."

He says he is now considering a lawsuit.

The image first appeared last week on a flyer at a law enforcement fundraiser. Tiny print at the bottom stated, "This is an actor portrayal."

Worby Groner's ad agency said it was within its rights since Keiley signed a release.