Vast Madoff Options Scheme Didn't Add Up

(NEWSER) - Investigators see yesterday's guilty plea of Bernard Madoff's right-hand man as a major breakthrough in their efforts to untangle the elaborate Ponzi scheme, BusinessWeek reports. Frank DiPascali, chief financial officer at Madoff's firm, has promised to cooperate with prosecutors and is expected to name other people involved in the scam and to help trace assets Madoff may have stashed around the world. More»

(NEWSER) - Ruth Madoff won't be able to spend $100 without scrutiny under a deal approved by a bankruptcy judge overseeing the liquidation of her husband's financial firm, the Wall Street Journal reports. Madoff agreed to give a full accounting of her income and any spending over $100 to a court-appointed trustee acting for victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. More»

Bankruptcy trustee says fraudster's wife received more than she'll admit to

(NEWSER) - The trustee in the Bernie Madoff case sued the swindler's wife today to demand the return of $44 million to bilked investors, Newsday reports. The complaint doesn't allege criminal activity by Ruth Madoff but says she directly received funds from her husband’s multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Ruth Madoff gave up all but $2.5 million of her assets in a forfeiture deal last month, but she's not protected from lawsuits. More»

(NEWSER) - A high-flying New York lawyer who orchestrated a Ponzi scheme to fund his lavish lifestyle has been sentenced to 20 years in jail, the New York Times reports. Marc Dreier pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy and securities fraud relating to the scam, which bilked hedge funds and other investors of some $400 million. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 145 years, just 5 years short of the 150 years Bernard Madoff was slapped with. More»

Investigator's questions could have exposed Ponzi scheme in 2004

(NEWSER) - An SEC investigator whose questions could have exposed Bernard Madoff's fraud in 2004 was shifted to an unrelated case after raising the alarm, the Washington Post reports. One of the supervisors who told the staffer to focus instead on a mutual funds investigation later married Madoff's niece, and the relationship is now being probed by the SEC. More»