Madoff’s director of ops sentenced to 10 years

The first of Bernie Madoff’s cronies was sentenced Monday in connection with the con man’s ponzi scheme that jilted investors out of $17 billion.

Daniel Bonventre, Madoff’s former director of operations, was sentenced by Manhattan Federal Judge Laura Swain to ten years in prison for his involvement in the scheme.Bonventre, along with four other Madoff Securities ex-employees scheduled to be sentenced this week, was also ordered to forfeit over $155 billion.

Other members of Madoff’s team awaiting sentencing includeportfolio managers Annette Bongiorno and Joann Crupi and computer programmers Jerome O’Hara and George Perez.

At Bonventre’s sentencing, Swain called the fraud committed by Madoff to be “devastatingly serious crimes,” reported theDaily News.