Epic Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff asked a federal judge Wednesday to grant him a "compassionate release" from his 150-year prison sentence, saying he has terminal kidney failure and less than 18 months to live, the AP reports. Madoff's attorney filed court papers saying the 81-year-old has end-stage kidney disease and other "chronic, serious medical conditions," including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. "There's no cure for my type of disease," Madoff told the Washington Post by phone, expressing remorse for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. After spending over a decade behind bars, Madoff said his dying wish is to salvage his relationships with his grandchildren. "I've served 11 years already," he said, "and, quite frankly, I've suffered through it."
The US Attorney's Office in Manhattan declined to comment. Prosecutors are expected to file a motion in response to the request in the coming days. Madoff pleaded guilty in 2009 to 11 federal counts in a fraudulent investment scheme involving billions of dollars, admitting he swindled thousands of clients over decades. A so-called compassionate release would allow Madoff to "receive end-of-life care in the community, which would be more efficient, timely, and less burdensome" on the US Bureau of Prisons, Sample wrote. The Bureau of Prisons denied Madoff's request for release in December, according to court papers, saying it would "minimize the severity of his offense." The agency lists Madoff's release date as Nov. 14, 2139.
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