[JURIST] Former financial chief for Bernard L. Madoff [JURIST news archive] Investment Securities LLC, Frank DiPascali, pleaded guilty Tuesday to 10 criminal counts [charges, PDF] for his role in the Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of billions of dollars. DiPascali delivered his plea to Judge Richard Sullivan of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York [official website], admitting he was aware he was participating in a fraudulent scheme. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) elected to file charges [letter, PDF] last week, charging DiPascali with fraud, conspiracy, perjury, and tax evasion. DiPascali faces 125 years in prison for his crimes [Bloomberg report], but it is believed that he reached a plea agreement with the DOJ [WSJ report] for a reduced sentence.

In late June, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison [JURIST report]. In March, Madoff's accountant David Friehling was charged with fraud [JURIST report] by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Just prior to that, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 charges of fraud after agreeing to a partial judgment from the SEC [JURIST reports] for civil charges stemming from his role in defrauding investors.