Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff’s eldest son hanged himself by a dog leash in his apartment Saturday, exactly two years after his father’s arrest in a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.
New York City police and paramedics responded about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, exactly two years after his father’s arrest, to a report of an apparent suicide at the residence of Mark Madoff, the eldest son of convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff. body hanging from a dog leash on a pipe in his living room ceiling as his own young son slept in the next room, according to reports.
The body was found hanging by a dog leash that was attached to a pipe near the ceiling in a living room. Madoff’s two-year-old son was sleeping when his father-in-law arrived to check on Madoff and his two-year-old son.
Mark Madoff, 46, was under investigation about possible involvement in his father’s multi-billion dollar ponzi scheme, but he never faced any criminal charges.
Mark Madoff and other family members were sued in 2009 with a complaint that they failed to detect fraud and lived lavish lifestyles with the ill-gotten gains of $66 million and using the money to buy luxury homes in New York City, Nantucket and Connecticut.
Bernie Madoff is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence in North Carolina.
Today was the last day people could file claims for losses from the Ponzi scheme. About $2.5 billion have been recouped so far for victims.