General

Madoff beaten in prison

Ex-inmates confirm rumours

Three sources have confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that Bernie Madoff was so badly beaten by a fellow inmate last December he had to be treated for a broken nose, fractured ribs and cuts to his head and face. At the time, the Bureau of Prisons said rumors of an assault were false and that Madoff’s visit to the prison hospital at Butner prison in North Carolina was the result of dizziness and hypertension. But now a former inmate reveals that the Ponzi schemer, who is eight months into his 150-year sentence, was assaulted by “beefy man” with a black belt in Judo over money he believed he was owed. The details of the injuries couldn’t be independently verified. Denise Simmons, a spokeswoman at Butner, said, “We have no knowledge or information to confirm he was assaulted.” That the 71-year-old Madoff isn’t talking about it isn’t surprising, the paper notes: “It’s not uncommon for prisoners to deny being beaten because they don’t want to risk a reputation as a snitch, according to prison experts and prisoner advocates.” One former inmate also revealed that Madoff offered financial advice: “I was trying to get into day trading and he’s like, ‘That’s not for you. That’s for individuals like me with millions to spare,’ ” he said.

Wall Street Journal

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