As expected, Bernard Madoff pled guilty today in a Manhattan federal court. The Washington Post story is here. Madoff, purporting to be ashamed of his conduct, pled to the government’s 11-count criminal information, available here, which was filed earlier this week. Madoff pled straight up–without a plea bargain agreement. Judge Chin, quite appropriately, ordered Madoff to prison after the plea. Contrary to the previous public outcry, it would have been inappropriate for Madoff to have been jailed before he entered a guilty plea.
It is clear from a close reading of the criminal information, as well as from press stories relating to certain proffer sessions conducted by the SDNY U.S. Attorney’s Office, that the government doesn’t believe Madoff acted alone. However, the criminal information is ambiguous enough in its wording for Madoff to be able to plead guilty to it without admitting that others criminally aided and abetted him.
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