Bernie Madoff's former secretary, Annette Bongiorno, was sentenced to six years in prison today for her involvement in the infamous Ponzi scheme that ruined plenty of lives and cost unwitting investors $17.3 billion. And it turns out Bongiorno actually caught a break in court, with the judge slicing her recommended sentence by 14 years—in part because of her "unusually small stature."
Bongiorno, 66, was convicted on charges including securities fraud and conspiracy in March, after prosecutors accused her of being one of several individuals who helped hide Madoff's fraud from the government, cheated investors and general public. A federal probation department recommended she receive a 20-year sentence, and her attorney asked for 8 to 10 years.
Today, though, Judge Laura Taylor Swain sentenced Bongiorno to six years. Why the truncated sentence? Well, because Bongiorno is only 4 foot 6, among other things. "Her age and her unusually small stature might also put her in a vulnerable position in a prison facility," Swain said in court, according to the Post. This is better than the time a 5 foot 1 child molester was sentenced to 10 years probation instead of prison time, but still, what a beautiful criminal justice system we have here.
Bongiorno started working for Madoff when she was 19 years old, and referred to him as "my teacher and my superior" in court. In addition to her sentence, she received a $155 billion forfeiture order.
