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Madoff Prosecutors Criticize Judge for Being Too Soft

The mercy shown by a judge this week to former aides of Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff risks hindering justice for victims of his $17.5 billion fraud, and sets a dangerous precedent for white-collar prosecutions, a government lawyer said at a sentencing hearing. The four defendants sentenced so far this week by U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan have received a combined 21 years behind bars compared with a total of 56 years recommended by the court’s probation office for their crimes. Prosecutors had argued for even longer terms. “You have been extraordinarily merciful here,” but “we ask for justice on behalf of victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Schwartz said yesterday to Swain. More on Bloomberg here.

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