Bernard Madoff

MIAMI (Reuters) - Four boats seized by U.S. authorities from imprisoned swindler Bernard Madoff and his right-hand man, Frank DiPascali, sold for nearly $2 million at auction on Tuesday, the U.S. Marshals Service said. A 61-foot (19-meter) Viking Convertible motor yacht that once belonged to DiPascali, Madoff's chief financial officer, brought the highest price -- $950,000, the Marshals Service said. Madoff's 55-foot (17-meter) restored 1969 Rybovich fishing boat "Bull" sold for $700,000. "Sitting Bull," his 38-foot (12-meter) 2003 Shelter Island Runabout, brought $320,000 and "Little Bull," a 23-foot (7-meter) Maverick, sold for $21,000. Proceeds from the auction and the sale of Madoff's multiple homes ... Read Full Story

Wall Street fraudster Bernard Madoff's former right-hand man has been released from federal prison but remains in custody, officials said Tuesday, after confusion over his whereabouts. He had been held in New York City but is now held in nearby Westchester County jail, said county spokeswoman Victoria Hochman. "He's in our jail," she told AFP. Confusion broke out earlier Tuesday over DiPascali's location when the Federal Bureau of Prisons database showed he had been released on November 12. Shortly after, a judge issued a letter stating that Madoff's former chief financial officer remained behind bars. Asked for clarification on his release, the prisons service ... Read Full Story

Bernard Madoff's right-hand man during decades of massive fraud on Wall Street has been released despite having previously been denied bail, according to prison officials. The Federal Bureau of Prisons database shows that Frank DiPascali, 53, was released on November 12. No reason was given for the release, which went largely unnoticed by the public. DiPascali pleaded guilty in a New York federal court on August 11 to conspiracy and multiple counts of fraud related to Madoff's multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. The judge ordered him immediately jailed though he has agreed to help the government investigate the Madoff fraud and was backed by prosecutors ... Read Full Story

A vintage 55-foot yacht named "Bull" and two smaller boats that once belonged to imprisoned financier Bernard Madoff are headed for the auction block, along with an even bigger yacht once owned by Madoff's right-hand man. Madoff's 1969 Rybovitch sportfisher, a wooden boat meticulously restored, is the prize offering at Tuesday's private auction. As of Monday, 29 people had put up a $100,000 deposit for the opportunity to bid and more were expected to register, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. "People have heard of it. It's a piece of history," said Bob Toney, president and CEO of National Liquidators, which is handling the ... Read Full Story

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two computer programmers provided technical support to falsify documents and trading records for swindler Bernard Madoff and took hush money to help keep the massive fraud going, U.S. authorities said. The FBI arrested Jerome O'Hara, 46, and George Perez, 43, at their homes on Friday morning on criminal charges of conspiracy for falsifying books and records at both the broker-dealer and investment arms of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in New York. "The computer codes and random algorithms they allegedly designed served to deceive investors and regulators and concealed Madoff's crimes," said federal prosecutor Preet Bharara. "They have been ... Read Full Story