9/11 statue to be auctioned on eBay

A 40-foot sculpture in rural Maryland of three New York City firefighters raising the U.S. flag at ground zero is being offered on eBay, but there’s a catch: You can’t take it home.

Bidding on the towering tribute to heroes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will start Wednesday and end May 22, said Pat Huddleston, a Marietta, Ga., attorney who is the court-appointed receiver in an investment fraud case involving the sculpture. The auction will start at $500,000, he said.

Huddleston said proceeds from the Internet auction will benefit defrauded investors. The buyer will be recognized on a plaque as having donated the statue to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit in Emmitsburg that memorializes fire heroes and offers counseling and scholarships to their families.

“It’s a disgrace that such a symbolic memorial, which represents the best of America, is caught in the middle of a corporate scandal,” Huddleston said. “We are hoping to bring honor back to the memorial by rededicating it, but first we need a willing donor who would like to become the new benefactor.”