Published May 03, 2016
Imprisoned Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff's (MAY'-dawfz) former controller won't have to go to prison after prosecutors praised her for helping them successfully convict others in his multibillion-dollar fraud.
Enrica Cotellessa-Pitz was sentenced Tuesday to time served. A judge also ordered her to serve 250 hours of community service.
The judge says she believes Cotellessa-Pitz was genuinely remorseful for knowingly falsifying records that were presented to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service.
Cotellessa-Pitz told the judge she's "truly sorry" and "completely ashamed."
The 56-year-old Cotellessa-Pitz joined Madoff's firm in 1978 while in college. She worked there until a few months after his fraud was revealed in December 2008.
Madoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges and is serving a 150-year prison sentence.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/bernard-madoffs-former-controller-says-shes-truly-sorry-avoids-prison-after-cooperating