Report: Bernie Madoff beat up by fellow inmate in December

Butner - Ponzi scheme fraudster Bernie Madoff, who is serving a 150-year sentence, was assaulted by a fellow inmate. Madoff experienced cuts, bruises and a broken nose.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, New York fraudster Bernie Madoff was physically assaulted by an inmate in December at the Butner federal prison in North Carolina. After the assault, Madoff was sent to the prison’s low-security medical center for treatment of bruises, cuts and a broken nose. Three people familiar with the situation corroborated the story, but the Bureau of Prison and Bernie Madoff's lawyer deny the story, reports the Business Insider. Initial reports in December indicated Madoff experienced hypertension and dizziness. A felon serving a prison sentence on drug charges said Madoff was treated for a broken nose, fractured ribs and cuts to his head and face. The injuries could not be independently confirmed, but two other felons verified the incident. “In December he told staff he was not assaulted, and an investigation was completed following his statements, which corroborated his statements," said Traci Billingsley, spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons.. "Not one inmate has told staff he was assaulted." The fight began because the assailant accused Madoff of stealing money from him, reports News Australia. Madoff’s alleged attacker is currently serving time on a drug conviction. In his spare time, Madoff provides investment advice, stays in the prison library on the weekend and watches movies, reports Reuters. Madoff also hangs out with a 56-year-old pharmacist who is in prison for distributing 5 million tablets of hydrocodone, and is good friends with Carmine Persico, a Colombo family crime boss.