Bernie Madoff's Accountant Paul Konigsberg to Plead Guilty to Fraud Charges

Convicted fraudster Bernard Madoff's former accountant Paul Konigsberg is expected to plead guilty to charges in connection with the swindler's $65bn Ponzi scheme, a US prosecutor has said.

Konigsberg, a former senior tax partner at Konigsberg Wolf & Co, could enter a guilty plea under a cooperation agreement with the government, Assistant US Attorney Matthew Schwartz has said.

"We are finalising the terms of a plea," Schwartz told US District Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan on 17 June, Reuters reported.

Konigsberg and his attorney, Reed Brodsky, were present at the hearing. Pursued by the news agency, Brodsky refused to comment after the hearing.

Konigsberg will be the 15th defendant to plead guilty or be convicted at a trial linked to Madoff's fraud, estimated to have cost customers more than $17bn (£10bn, €12.5bn) in principal.

In March, five former Madoff aides were found guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud clients.

The five aides are computer programmers Jerome O'Hara and George Perez, back-office director Daniel Bonventre, and portfolio managers Annette Bongiorno and Joann Crupi. All are seeking to have their convictions dismissed.

Charges Against Konigsberg

Konigsberg, in his 70s, was charged in September 2013 with two counts of conspiracy and three counts of falsifying records and statements.

He was also charged with helping Madoff hide the fraud by arranging for customers to receive "amended" account statements that included fake trading records.

Konigsberg faces a related civil lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Bernard Madoff's brother Peter Madoff pleaded guilty in 2012 to his part in the fraud and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Madoff pleaded guilty in 2009 and was sentenced to 150 years in prison for controlling the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.