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Prosecutors say that (alleged) $50 billion Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff should be in jail after violating his bail conditions by sending packages to relatives. The feds say he's transferring his assets, but Madoff's defense lawyer Ira Sorkin claims they were just innocent gifts—the Post describes some objects as "expensive watches, pens, cufflinks and a $200 pair of mittens meant as a Hanukkah gift" and the Daily News adds there was jewelry and that the packages were apparently worth $1 million.
Sorkin also said that these gifts were included in the asset accounting Madoff and his wife provided at the end of the year and added, "We believe the children brought [the packages/gifts] to the attention of the government." Madoff's two sons were the ones to report their father's fraudulent activity to the government last month.
Federal prosecutor Marc Litt said, "The case against the defendant is strong and it continues to grow stronger as the government’s investigation continues. Given the defendant’s age, the length of the likely sentence, the strength of the proof against the defendant, including his confessions, these facts present a clear risk of flight.” (It's suspected Madoff may have money in off-shore accounts.) The NY Times also notes, "The newly aggressive stance by prosecutors appeared to represent a serious deterioration in relations between the government and Mr. Madoff."
The judge is considering revoking Madoff's bail and gave both sides until Thursday to file legal briefs.
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ladies: nothing innocent about zodak's package
...if you like a couple of 1/2 carat rocks from Zales.
AAAArrgh! Can we put this guy somewhere where he'll never see another mailbox for the rest of his life and where a man in a uniform reads all his mail before it's sent.
PLEASE LOCK THIS FUCKER UP ALREADY!
fuck him so hard. fingerbang him do death.
I myself got a $300 pair of mittens for the holidays. You got nothing on me, Madoff!
will someone please kill this dude already
...it's called waterboarding and during the" therapy" no "gifts" are sent and after the "spa session" is over Madoff remembers where hid put (hid) all of his assets...
What kind of defense is Sorkin making to say that the items were part of the asset accounting if all his assets have been frozen? Doesn't being frozen mean that you can't do something like mailing it to someone else? WTF is going on with this guy? Who is he passing benjamins to so that he can get away with things?
He needs to be in an orange jumpsuit, tout de suite.
It all fits that insanity defense we've been hearing about: "Poor old mischievous Bernie, doesn't know Right from Wrong, doesn't know he can't send out a few Channukah gifts."
Let him in a prison cell with just a toilet ball.
@5: werd
Street kid gets arrested
he's gonna do some time
he'll get out 3 years from now
just to commit more crime
A business man is caught
with 24 kilos
he's out of jail
and out on bail
and that's the way it goes!
I heard this morning on NY1 that his latest defense is that his wife did it and she's not subject to the same court order that he is.
AAAAAAAAAUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Lock them BOTH up! This is ridiculous already!