Madoff's Former Secretary Seeks Early Prison Release
Attorney Roland Riopelle says 70-year-old Annette Bongiorno will have served two thirds of her six-year prison term by March 19 and should be released then.
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Attorney Roland Riopelle says 70-year-old Annette Bongiorno will have served two thirds of her six-year prison term by March 19 and should be released then.
Annette Bongiorno she apologized to victims of the multi-decade, multi-billion dollar fraud and berated herself for failing to see past her boss's influence and the riches he bestowed on her.
The verdicts came Monday in a Manhattan trial that lasted nearly six months. The federal court trial was the first to result from the multi-decade fraud that landed Madoff in prison for 150 years.
The jury has the monumental task of sorting through five months of testimony to determine whether the ex-Madoff employees knew that their jobs involved perpetuating a massive Ponzi scheme.
prosecutor John Zach told jurors Tuesday that Madoff depended on his former secretary, his former head of operations, an account manager and two computer programmers to keep his fraud alive for four decades.
Convicted swindler Bernie Madoff's secretary took the stand nearly five years after her former boss went to prison.
Daniel Bonventre has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges. Authorities say he cooked the books to throw off regulators.
Bernard Madoff placed no premium on further education for the employees he hired right out of high school -- the less they knew, the better -- the Ponzi schemer's longtime lieutenant testified Monday.
The cross-examination of the government's star witness in the trial of five of Bernard Madoff's former empoyees has given the jury new insight into the way disgrace financier ran his massive Ponzi scheme.
Frank DiPascali testified that his boss would "razzle dazzle" auditors by using computer programs specially designed to make it appear that fake investments were real.
Bernard Madoff's former right-hand man is about to take center stage at the trial of five former co-workers. Prosecutors plan to call Frank DiPascali to the witness stand this week in federal court in Manhattan.
Enrica Cotellessa-Pitz, who worked for Madoff for three decades, is testifying against five former colleagues in exchange for leniency.
The trial against five of Bernard Madoff's former employees continued Wednesday with testimony from consultants who investigated the firm following Madoff's arrest.
The trial follows the 2008 collapse of Madoff's private investment business, which cost clients nearly $20 billion. A court-appointed trustee has recovered much of the money by forcing those customers who received big payouts from Madoff to return the funds.
Five former employees of imprisoned Ponzi scheme operator Bernard Madoff were introduced to 200 prospective jurors Tuesday, as jury selection began in their fraud trial.
Bernard Madoff's former secretary has made bail and will await her New York trial while on house arrest.
U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain rejected the arguments by lawyers for 62-year-old Annette Bongiorno that her husband should be allowed to post money from his bank accounts to support a bail package.
Federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain noted that Annette Bongiorno concedes she has $2.4 million. Prosecutors say Madoff's 62-year-old longtime secretary likely has stashed away millions more.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Picard said his firm is seeking about $69 million in funds deposited by the company's customers and stolen in the 72-year-old's vast Ponzi scheme.
The lawsuit alleges 23 counts of financial fraud and misconduct. It seeks to recover at least $2 billion to be distributed to Madoff victims.
Bongiorno and another former Madoff aide were arrested last week on conspiracy, securities fraud and other charges arising from the multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. They could each face decades in prison if convicted.
A half dozen employees have been charged since FBI agents showed up at Madoff's penthouse apartment in Manhattan on Dec. 11, 2008.
Two longtime back office employees of Bernard Madoff were arrested Thursday on charges that they helped the disgraced financier dupe investors for decades by making fictitious investments.
Federal prosecutors in New York are seeking over $5 million in assets belonging to a former office supervisor for jailed financier Bernard Madoff.
