Beastly bookkeeper Claudio Tavarez was sentenced yesterday to nine months in prison for siphoning off some $18,000 from the September 11th Families’ Association.

The 9/11 zero-among-heroes was found guilty of writing 15 checks to himself from the Cortlandt Street-based group’s accounts, forging the name of its chief operating officer on each check and listing them in ledgers as paid out to vendors.

Tavarez, who has since repaid the money he stole, stared into space and then, bizarrely, broke into a smile as Manhattan Supreme Court officers snapped the cuffs on him and led him away.

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