What do you get for the person who has everything? Well, maybe you buy him a piece of history. The U.S. Marshals Service has done all the hard work, and now you can take advantage of it... maybe even at discount prices! Possessions seized from Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff are set to go under the gavel in New York City on Saturday, so bring your checkbook and your appetite for luxury. The money will be used to compensate the victims of Madoff's crimes.

Continue reading Holiday shopping Madoff-style

Holiday shopping Madoff-style originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Another player in the Bernie Madoff saga has fallen. His longtime auditor, David Friehling, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to charges of securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, making false filings with the SEC, and obstructing or impeding the administration of the Internal Revenue laws (among others).

Despite the plea, Friehling still told U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, "At no time was I ever aware Bernard Madoff was engaged in a Ponzi scheme."

Continue reading Friehling: Another Madoff domino falls

Friehling: Another Madoff domino falls originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Allen Stanford gets kicked around, but Bernie Madoff can clearly throw down some serious smack. While the former's being moved from one facility to another because he's lost some ground on the cell block, Madoff just earned himself some props.

The engineer of the largest (known) Ponzi scheme in history apparently got into an argument with another geriatric inmate at the Butner, North Carolina federal prison. Of course, it was over the stock market. Does it really make sense to outmaneuver a guy who never needed to know what the market was doing to deliver double-digit returns?

Well, push came to shove, as they say, with the "attacker" stumbling and looking up at a mean, mean Madoff. He got up and ran off.

Continue reading Madoff fights to win, gets some cred

Madoff fights to win, gets some cred originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Even with the ringleader in jail, the pursuit of Bernie Madoff doesn't seem to be finished. Sunday night, the trustee who's winding down the Madoff company said on 60 Minutes that Madoff's two sons (Mark and Andrew), brother (Peter) and niece (Shana) will be slapped with a $198 million suit. They are alleged to have known about the Ponzi scheme, according to the trustee, Irving Picard and his chief counsel, David Sheehan.

Sheehan and Picard are also working under the assumption that there is still some money hidden, quite a lot of it, in fact. Picard told the show, "We'd assume it's millions and millions of dollars." Yet, this probably wouldn't help with the task in front of them.

Continue reading Madoff family to be sued for $198 million

Madoff family to be sued for $198 million originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Anne Lacombe, spokeswoman for the Corcoran Group, a real estate broker involved in the transaction, said the home was under contract for more than asking but did not have information on the exact amount, buyer or closing date, according to the Associated Press.

Continue reading Madoff mansion moves for more than asking price

Madoff mansion moves for more than asking price originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fairfield Greenwich Group is trying to play ball, but Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin isn't listening.

Instead, he's sending out notices to find all the investors who lost money with Fairfield as a result of its investments in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. The state does not intend to settle, though negotiations between the state and Fairfield are ongoing.

Continue reading Massachusetts not backing down on Madoff feeder fund

Massachusetts not backing down on Madoff feeder fund originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Frank DiPascali, CFO to convicted fraudster Bernard Madoff, turned in a guilty plea yesterday, as expected. He fessed up to ten charges, including securities fraud, conspiracy, falsifying records and international money laundering. "It was all fictitious," he said, admitting that he "knew it was wrong at the time." Yet, he didn't say a word about anyone other than Madoff.

Each of the charges carries a term of five to 20 years in prison, not to mention fines of up to $5 million. But his cooperation is expected to lessen the blow a bit, though we'll have to wait until at least May 2010 to find out what the outcome will be. We don't even know if DiPascali will be able to wait for sentencing from his own home -- nothing on bail has been determined. The prosecution has asked for a $2.5 million bond, secured by equity in DiPascali's sister's home and co-signed by "three financially responsible individuals," according to a Reuters report.

The May sentencing date suggests that prosecutors will be willing to deal, based on the information DiPascali provides in the interim. District Judge Richard Sullivan, as well, hopes that information will be forthcoming, which he expressed to one of the victims who spoke at the hearing.

Continue reading Madoff CFO pleads guilty, sentencing in May

Madoff CFO pleads guilty, sentencing in May originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bernie Madoff's long-time go-to guy, Frank DiPascali, isn't trying to beat the system any more. He has decided to plead guilty to criminal charges spanning more than two decades.

DiPascali is the first of Madoff's employees to be charged. Aside from Madoff, the only other person greeted by the criminal justice system has been outside auditor David Friehling, who isn't going as easily as DiPascali (he's pled not guilty).

If all goes as planned, DiPascali will plead guilty in U.S. District Court on Monday at 3 PM. For now, everyone's remaining tight-lipped, and the terms have not yet been revealed.

Continue reading Madoff lieutenant gives in, to plead on Monday

Madoff lieutenant gives in, to plead on Monday originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

David Friehling is only the second person to face criminal charges in the Bernard Madoff debacle. He served as Madoff's auditor from 1991 to 2008, though it's hard to say if they'll resume their relationship as cellies. For now, Friehling has only been charged (innocent until proven guilty, and such) with securities fraud, abetting investment adviser fraud and filing false reports with the SEC. On five of the six charges filed, he faces a 20-year maximum.

It's alleged that Friehling didn't conduct "meaningful" audits while in Madoff's employ, despite issuing reports saying that he'd done his job -- which paid close to $15,000 a month (no work for big pay . . . where do I sign up?). In particular, he's said to have not bothered to verify Madoff's business assets, revenue sources or bank accounts. This is no-brainer stuff for an auditor.

Continue reading Madoff bean-counter pleads not guilty

Madoff bean-counter pleads not guilty originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bernie Madoff, at 71 years old, may be staring down what would be effectively a life sentence. The prosecution and defense have vastly different views heading into court today, but the answer will come at 10 AM (EDT), when the hearing is scheduled to begin. Approximately 100 letters have been sent to the judge, and 10 people will relate their opinions directly.

Madoff's family members are not expected to be in the courtroom for the sentencing, as they haven't been to any of his appearances following his arrest last September.

Continue reading Madoff sentence to come today

Madoff sentence to come today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The two circumstances sort of symbolize the U.S.'s decade of descent, although opinions certainly will vary on what led to them. At minimum, they don't represent the most flattering moment in the nation's history.

Money manager Bernard Madoff, if proven guilty, will have substantially hurt, if not ruined, the financial lives of hundreds of investors -- from charitable organizations to Zsa Zsa Gabor -- in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

Meanwhile, on the heels of President Barack Obama's $500,000 compensation cap for executives and employees who receive federal government bailout assistance, criticisms have been voiced in and around Wall Street and in think tanks, with some executives complaining that the compensation is not high enough and/or that the federal government has no right to limit how much someone can be paid.

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Which is worse? Bernard Madoff or bank executives who say they can't live on $500,000 a year? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading New York Ponzi scheme operator Cosmo had mob ties

New York Ponzi scheme operator Cosmo had mob ties originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Madoff investors: Not so innocent after all

Madoff investors: Not so innocent after all originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Bernard Madoff finally speaks his mind -- sort of

Bernard Madoff finally speaks his mind -- sort of originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Zsa Zsa Gabor lost up to $10 million with Madoff originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Rapped up with Madoff

Rapped up with Madoff originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bernie Madoff's rules for success originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Is the Madoff scandal the low point in U.S.'s decade of descent?

Is the Madoff scandal the low point in U.S.'s decade of descent? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Way Off Wall Street: The public responds to the Madoff scandal

Way Off Wall Street: The public responds to the Madoff scandal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

German billionaire beset by money woes commits suicide originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.