Bernie Madoff: 'I'm a prisoner in my own house'

New York, Jan 29 (ANI): Fraudster Bernie Madoff, who is under house arrest for running a 50 billion dollars Ponzi scheme, is reportedly complaining that he's being made a prisoner in his own palatial penthouse.

Madoff, who effectively is under house arrest as part of his 10 million dollars bail, revealed on December 10, 2008 that the asset management arm of his firm was a giant Ponzi scheme--or "one big lie."

"I'm a prisoner in my own house! I can't go anywhere! I'm stuck here all day!" The New York Post quoted him as saying.

In fact, the 70-year-old businessman is particularly miffed because "he can't even go outside just to go to the corner, or get something to eat," said the source.

The source added that apparently the disgraced financial maven is feeling sorry for himself while hanging out in his 7 million dollars pad.

On the other hand, thousands of his victims scramble to avoid bankruptcy, loss of their own homes or worse.

The ex- NASDAQ-chairman's moaning comes within two weeks after he dodged a bid by federal prosecutors to revoke his bail.

It was because he and his wife, Ruth, mailed their sons and others more than 1 million dollars worth of jewellery last month.

However, instead of locking him up pending trial, a judge merely tightened Madoff's bail restrictions.

Those restrictions already included round the clock monitoring by security guards of his residence at Park Avenue and East 64th Street. (ANI)