Bernie Madoff’s Younger Brother Gets to Emulate Him Once More, With Ten Years in Prison

Bernie Madoff’s younger brother Peter always craved his sibling’s acceptance, friends wrote in letters to a judge before Peter Madoff’s sentencing on Thursday, where his lawyer described him as a victim of his own loyalty. So he joined the family business instead of pursuing a career with the SEC, and he helped Bernie Madoff keep his actions hidden from regulators as compliance officer of their investment firm (though he’s not charged with knowing about the Ponzi scheme itself). And now he’s following his older brother to prison, the only other member of the Madoff family to be charged in the $17.3 billion scam. Those letters of support are unique, though, The New York Times points out: “The 63 character references stood in stark contrast to his brother’s sentencing, when the judge in that case noted that he had not received a single supportive letter.” They didn’t change anything for him. More in New York Magazine here.