Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities Investigation

Sheff Law Offices, P.C. is investigating investment losses on behalf of individuals and organizations allegedly defrauded by a “Ponzi scheme”, orchestrated by Bernard Madoff through his company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. 

Bernard L. Madoff, one of Wall Street’s best known was arrested Thursday, December 11, 2008 on charges that he organized a $50 billion dollar Ponzi scheme. Bernard L.  Madoff served as vice chairman of the NASD, a member of its board of governors, and chairman of its New York region. He was also a member of NASDAQ Stock Market's board of governors and its executive committee and served as chairman of its trading committee.

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that involves paying abnormally high returns to investors out of the money later invested by subsequent clients.   The scheme requires a constant influx of new investment money in order to pay the high “investment returns” to the previous investors.  In this case, these funds came from individual investors and capital managers alike.  Additionally, some investors, who had no knowledge of Bernard L. Madoff, unwittingly became part of his scheme when they purchased investments and hedge funds set up by outside “feeder” funds which in turn, invested in Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC.

The losses are staggering.  Victims range from Madoff’s personal friends to entire investment funds.   Countless organizations, trusts, charities and philanthropic foundations have been wiped out and have been forced to close their doors.

It has been reported that various investment funds such as Ascot Partners, Fairfield Greenwich Group (Fairfield Sentry Fund), Tremont Group Holdings Inc., Rye Investment Management and Maxam Capital Management may have allocated funds to Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC.  Many of the watchdogs, regulators and accounting firms entrusted with overseeing these investments apparently failed to catch the multi-billion dollar scam.

Investors who have lost money in funds invested in Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC may have a claim against the fund managers or their intermediaries.   Sheff Law Offices, P.C. is now offering free case evaluations for investors who may have lost money in the “Ponzi scheme” orchestrated by Bernard Madoff, through his company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC.