A Bernie Madoff company honcho accused of helping him pull off his $17 million Ponzi fraud plans plans to break his silence Tuesday by testifying before a Manhattan federal jury — possibly opening the floodgates for other ex-staffers on trial to follow his lead, defense lawyers said.
Former Madoff operations chief Daniel Bonventre — who faces securities- and tax-fraud charges that include millions of dollars in unreported taxable income — notified the government and Judge Laura Taylor Swain in legal papers Sunday that he’ll be taking the witness stand.
His co-defendants — former Madoff secretary Annette Bongiorno, account manager Joann Crupi and computer programmers Jerome O’Hara and George Perez — have previously said they’re either undecided about testifying or that it’s highly unlikely.
But Bongiorno’s lawyer, Roland Riopelle, said Bonventre’s bold move could convince other co-defendants that their best shot at winning acquittal is to take the stand.
He said there’s “always been speculation” Bongiorno would testify, but added she hasn’t made up her mind.
“If the others see things go well for [Bonventre], they might decide it’s best for them to testify. On the other hand, if things go very badly for him, then they might not,” Riopelle said.
Bonventre’s lawyer, Andrew Frisch, declined to comment.