NO MERCY

Bernie Madoff Should Stay in Prison Even if He’s Dying: Prosecutors

The notorious Ponzi schemer claims he is dying of kidney disease and has sought an early release so he can die at home.

Bernie Madoff should not be released early from prison—even if kidney disease is killing him, prosecutors said Wednesday. Madoff is notorious for presiding over a decades-long Ponzi scheme that cost thousands of investors billions of dollars and, in 2009, saw him sentenced to 150 years in prison. He claims he is dying of kidney disease and has asked for an early release so he can die at home. However, NBC News reports that more than 500 victims have written to a Manhattan federal court judge to oppose early release for the 81-year-old. Prosecutors said Madoff has demonstrated “a wholesale lack of understanding of the seriousness of his crimes and a lack of compassion for his victims, underscoring that he is undeserving of compassionate release himself.” They asked: “Why should he be shown any compassion, when he had none for his many victims?” The Federal Bureau of Prisons has agreed Madoff has less than 18 months to live, but said an early release grounds “would minimize the severity of his offense.”