Trustee For Liquidation Of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities Announces Unsealing Of Complaint Against JPMorgan Chase
NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Irving H. Picard, the Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (“BLMIS”) today announced that his complaint against JPMorgan Chase & Co., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd. (collectively “JPMC”) – initially filed under seal on December 2, 2010 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York – would be unsealed and its details made available to the public.
The complaint seeks to recover nearly $1 billion in fees and profits and an additional $5.4 billion in damages for JPMC’s decades-long role as BLMIS’s primary banker, aiding and abetting Madoff’s fraud. All recovered monies will be placed into the Customer Fund and distributed, pro rata, to BLMIS customers with valid claims.
The Trustee initially filed the complaint under seal because JPMC had contended that information it had provided to the Trustee in the course of his investigation was confidential. “However, from the start, we have maintained that the Trustee’s complaint should be made public,” said David J. Sheehan, lead counsel for Mr. Picard and a partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP, the court-appointed counsel for the Trustee.
“We have reached an agreement with opposing counsel to unseal a large majority of the complaint, with the exception of several allegations as well as the identities of the bank’s employees and customers,” said Deborah Renner, a partner at Baker & Hostetler.
The 114-page complaint, which includes quotations from internal emails at the bank, contains substantial detail supporting allegations that JPMC knew or should have known that Madoff was likely engaging in fraud. “Incredibly, the bank’s top executives were warned in blunt terms about speculation that Madoff was running a Ponzi scheme, yet the bank appears to have been concerned only with protecting its own investments in BLMIS feeder funds,” said Ms. Renner. “As we allege in the complaint, JPMC had a palpable concern that Madoff was a fraud for years, but it was not until October 2008 that it reported Madoff to government officials. Even then, JPMC executives did not restrict the BLMIS bank account, even though it was being used to launder money from the Ponzi scheme,” added Ms. Renner.
“As we allege, JPMC ignored its anti-money laundering obligations and repeatedly allowed suspicious transactions for high dollar amounts to occur in the BLMIS account,” said Mr. Sheehan. “The complaint further alleges that, as the BLMIS banker, JPMC had financial reports in its possession that clearly evidenced fraud. The same reports led a prominent fund manager to conclude that fraudulent activity was highly likely,” said Mr. Sheehan. “In addition to the indicia of fraud JPMC saw given its role as BLMIS’s primary banker for more than two decades, JPMC gained additional, unique insight into Mr. Madoff and his operation at BLMIS as it conducted due diligence for its own investments in BLMIS feeder funds.”
“There is much more to come, in the way of documents and testimony, as we enter the discovery phase of the litigation,” said Ms. Renner. “We will push for more information from JPMC in the course of the litigation so that the public can learn the full role of the bank in aiding and abetting Madoff’s Ponzi scheme,” said Mr. Sheehan.
In addition to Mr. Sheehan and Ms. Renner, the Trustee acknowledges the contributions of Baker & Hostetler attorneys who worked on both the drafting and unsealing of the JPMC complaint: Keith Murphy, Seanna Brown , Jessie Gabriel, Jennifer Vessells, Lauren Hilsheimer and Lindsey D’Andrea.
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For more on this development see this…
Madoff Trustee Finds JPM Was Complicit In Ponzi Fraud
For all those were wondering why someone just bought a massive 75,000 put spread block on JPM ealier, here’s the reason. Just out from the NYT, disclosing a suit filed previously against JPM by Madoff trustee Irving Picard under searl: “Senior executives at JPMorgan Chase expressed serious doubts about the legitimacy of Bernard L. Madoff’s investment business more than 18 months before his Ponzi scheme collapsed but continued to do business with him, according to internal bank documents made public in a lawsuit unsealed on Thursday. The lawsuit against the bank was filed under seal on Dec. 2 by Irving H. Picard, the bankruptcy trustee gathering assets for Mr. Madoff’s victims. At that time, David J. Sheehan, the trustee’s lawyer, bluntly asserted that Mr. Madoff “would not have been able to commit this massive Ponzi scheme without this bank.” But with the case under seal, there was no way to gauge the documentation on which the trustee based his $6.4 billion in claims against the bank — until now…” Read more here …
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JP Morgan Chase – The so-called Rockerfeller Bank was founded on the filthiest financial scheme back in the day when the Nazis exploited the Jews of their belongings during the holocaust — The information has been de-classified by the Federal Government (read this bank’s history – “Odessa”). Many people think that the bank got its start from the oil business — Bull! This bank has been involved in this sort of thing since it came into existence. They were investigated back in the day by the Federal Government — but they got off when their attorney bribed the government. That’s the low class scum your’re dealing with. Madolf is just par for the course — They eat this sort of thing for lunch — Question: Have you ever noticed that the Chase emblem and the Swastica is one in the same? — Good luck to Mr. Picard — I’ll be praying for you — You’re gonna need it because at best that bank is a World Class demon..
So, JPM will just write out a check and that’ll be it. It would seem they have been granted a license to do as they wish – and this will result in just a “ding” in their checkbook. It just seems hopeless.
Well…we know the problem dealing with the banks..all the wrongs and frauds with everyone involved in the financial industry…but we must realize… all this was allowed by the government..it didn’t matter how much fraud was used to get the job done..the job of everyone being homeless. In the end all would be jobless and homeless. NOTHING DONE WITH THE JOB ISSUE AND NOTHING DONE WITH THE FORECLOSURE ISSUE…..Government has turned their backs on the citizens…if wrong..please correct. We point our fingers..but are we pointing in the right direction? The government committee spent 1 1/2 years on questioning WaMu…with results the top dogs knew the fraud and approved of it….that WaMu reeked with it…yet..nothing was done..no indictments….a slap on the wrist. That for an example of government policing..when outside investigation needs to be done..not the fox or the wolf.
This does not elimate or excuse the financial industry of any wrong…they participated in the act with others in ‘some’ activity….to bring America to ruins. HE WHO LURKS in the shadows with slience needs to step to the forefront….be it the financial industry or the government. WAKE UP AMERICA
Bill P, that is exactly what we need ! and maybe the truth will come out
Here in california we have an attorney who has held the courts on his side..fraudeclosures. He has won all cases in favor of JPMORGAN.
I have a legit claim but the BK attorney could not make it agains this YAMAMOTO .
We need the equivilant of the Neuremberg Trials. Round up all the banksters and let justice be served!
The Government allowed the banks to commit financial terror by deregulation. They allowed the fox to guard the hen house or maybe they are the foxes. Beware of wolves in sheeps clothing. What else can explain how and why our Government, full well knowing this type have behavior was occuring,(The FBI warned them in 2004) let it continue and still are,
unless, EVERYTHING IS A FRAUD? They ALL use deception and lies in order to cover-up. They create CONFUSION and CHAOS to deceive the masses and cover-up their crimes, then they create lies. Looks like one giant criminal enterprise. When everyone is pointing fingers of blame but the crimes continue such as FRAUDCLOSURES, who is trying to fool who? I would have to say this implies a clear case of a cover-up. These criminals have hijacked America.