Bernie Madoff/cbs news

The civil case may be settled, but many are still waiting for the criminal case and for Bernie Madoff to head off to prison.
By CBS and Associated Press
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday announced an agreement with disgraced money manager Bernard Madoff that could eventually force him to pay a civil fine and return money raised from investors.
The partial judgment must be approved by the judge overseeing the Madoff case in federal court in Manhattan.
The civil proceeding is separate from the criminal case against the prominent Wall Street figure, who is accused of bilking $50 billion from investors in what may be the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Madoff was arrested in December after allegedly confessing to his sons that he had stolen from investors for years.
Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to revoke the bail of Madoff, who has been confined to his Manhattan penthouse under house arrest. Madoff, who has not been indicted, is widely expected to eventually enter into a criminal plea deal with prosecutors.

For Full Story

U.S. Atty. R. Alexander Acosta/ gov photo

Along with Washington and New York, the Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office is considered one of the higher profile offices in the country. The race is on for the seat.

BY JAY WEAVER
MiamiHerald.com
MIAMI — Unlike the Bush and Clinton administrations, President Barack Obama isn’t immediately pushing the U.S. attorneys in Miami and 92 other offices out the door.
The new president has asked the top federal prosecutor in South Florida, R. Alexander Acosta, and his colleagues around the country to “continue to serve for the time being.”
In Acosta’s case, that could be until the spring. The Bush-appointed U.S. attorney is rumored to be considering a job in a law firm or academia. His only comment is that he’s committed to staying in South Florida.
For Full Story

Nothing like starting out your new job with a good Washington scandal.

Michael Steele/ rnc photo

The government should have had this up by 2008. Will its latest effort succeed? We shall see.

By Brady McCombs
Arizona Daily Star
TUCSON –Homeland Security hopes to begin construction next month on the latest version of its much-maligned and costly “virtual fence” on the U.S.-Mexico border.
More than two years have passed and more than $400 million in taxpayers’ dollars have been spent on the Secure Border Initiative Net (SBInet) project, which still hasn’t produced an effective virtual fence.
The only system operating along the border is the “Project 28” prototype near Sasabe, southwest of Tucson, a grid of nine sensor towers that is still plagued with problems. It will be replaced by the new version – whenever it goes up.
SBInet officials planned to have a pair of new and improved virtual fences up in Arizona by the end of 2008 but the projects were abruptly stopped in August.
“It’s very disheartening,” said Christopher Bronk, a research fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, who has closely followed SBInet. “I don’t think we can afford to make those kinds of spends without seeing results.”

For Full Story

Anthony Martin claims his cover was blown. Does he have a legitimate claim? The answers may surface in a lawsuit he’s filed in which he also calls the witness protection program a “sham.”

By Ken Ritter
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS – A man who claims to be a former FBI informant has filed a $54 million federal lawsuit against the government, saying his life is in danger because his identity was compromised after he went undercover to help the agency.
“I was disclosed,” said Anthony Martin, 63, who described himself as a retired bank robber and convicted felon.
Martin said he volunteered to work undercover for the FBI after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He said he was installed as a taxi driver in Las Vegas and provided information that led to the arrests and convictions of at least four “people entering the country illegally” on charges including fabricating false passports.
For Full Story

Read Federal Lawsuit

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• Feds and Locals Investigating Canceled Inaugural Ball (Washington Post)
• FBI Assisting in Salmonella Probe (AP)
• FBI Assisting Navajo Police in New Mexico SHooting: 2 Dead and 2 Wounded (AP)

The drug wars, the homicide, the violence south of the border is taking its toll on Americans.