| Specializing In Stock and Securities Fraud Federal Sentence Reductions |
| Federal Prison Survival Programs & Sentence Reductions |
| © 2009 American Prison Consultants |
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| 888.558.2151 |
| Going From The Exchange Floor To The Prison Yard? |
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| TESTIMONIALS |
| Larry Levine Prison News Stories |
Unlike disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, sentenced last week to 150 years in prison, most federal inmates
are eventually released and need to find some way to make a living. Larry Levine had a brilliant idea when he
got out — he'd be a consultant to people about to go in.
Thus was born Wall Street Prison Consultants, a California-based firm specializing in survival strategies and
sentence reductions for fraudsters, embezzlers, insider traders and other white-collar crooks. Levine, who
served 10 years on securities and narcotics charges, says his experiences in a string of "dysfunctional prisons''
give him the expertise to counsel those entering the federal system.
In a phone interview with St. Petersburg Times, Levine discussed his business and what Madoff might expect.
are eventually released and need to find some way to make a living. Larry Levine had a brilliant idea when he
got out — he'd be a consultant to people about to go in.
Thus was born Wall Street Prison Consultants, a California-based firm specializing in survival strategies and
sentence reductions for fraudsters, embezzlers, insider traders and other white-collar crooks. Levine, who
served 10 years on securities and narcotics charges, says his experiences in a string of "dysfunctional prisons''
give him the expertise to counsel those entering the federal system.
In a phone interview with St. Petersburg Times, Levine discussed his business and what Madoff might expect.
Q. You were approached by Madoff's camp to advise him, but declined. Why?
A. If somebody rips off a bank or an insurance company, big business — that's what white-collar crime is all
about, and I don't have a problem helping them because half the country is on the take anyway. But Bernie
Madoff affected individual people, like an economic terrorist. It could have been your family members, your
neighbors, your friends. He didn't just ruin people's lives — he ruined their grandchildren's lives. He's going to
affect people for generations.
Q. If you don't consider him a typical white-collar criminal, what do you consider him?
A. I view him in the same category as child molesters or kiddie pornographers — they are outcasts. I have child
porno people call me all the time and I give them free advice — basically, Pray, because you're going to get beat
up every single day.
Q. What can Madoff expect in prison?
A. He can expect to have a lonely, pathetic road. Most people in custody have an "out date," so what you have to
look forward to is getting released. Bernie's life has changed, Bernie doesn't have anything to look forward to
except maybe Ruth showing up on the weekend calling him a son of a b-----.
Q. What advice would you have given Madoff had his "camp'' hired you?
A. He needs to keep his mouth shut, his ears open, show respect, humble himself. He needs to wipe that
arrogant smile off his face, and he should not trust anybody where he's at because the institutions are loaded
with informants and they would like nothing better than to find something out on Bernie to trade to the FBI to use
as a tool to get time off on their own sentence.
Q. Anything else?
A. He needs to maintain high visibility and refrain from putting himself in a situation where he'd be
compromised. Don't engage in gambling, don't borrow anything from anybody, don't lie, don't tell on anybody.
That's one thing I can say about Bernie. He didn't tell on anybody. I can respect that.
Q. Why is that admirable? Shouldn't others who were involved also be punished?
A. I have a contorted logic. I believe he should return the money to the rightful owners, but on the other hand I
don't believe in implicating others. Nobody respects an informant, nobody respects a stool pigeon.
Q. What other inmates might pose a threat to Madoff?
A. There's the cliche that Jews are greedy. People will probably say he's a greedy Jewish thief and you've got the
Aryan white power people that are not going to show Bernie respect and that's the kind he has to worry about.
Q. Anyone else?
A. Bernie doesn't need to worry about his victims. They are angry but generally harmless. What he needs to
worry about are the people who have the money because they're going to want to hurt Bernie. When you steal
$50 billion, you don't do it on your own, you've got to have help. And the people who have the money, the
government would love to know who they are. They're probably threatening Bernie's family. That's why Bernie's
not talking, it's obvious to me. They'd like nothing better than to shut Bernie up. You take a few million and
spread some money around to inmates' families and corrections officers to cause a diversion (in prison) and
kill him. That's why he needs to maintain a high profile. Stay in the presence of officers. Stay around people.
Q. Where is Madoff likely to do his time?
A. He really belongs in a minimum-security camp based on his age and education and crime. The problem he
has is the amount of time he got — 150 years. It's too much for a camp and the criteria doesn't call for high
security. So he'll go to medium security. He'll be around murderers and rapists.
Q. What kind of cell?
A. A two-man cell. He'll have a steel toilet with sink and he's going to be living out of a 4-foot by 2-foot locker. He
can have newspapers, softcover books, pictures, letters. He'll be able to buy snack items from the inmate
commissary.
Q. How do you like dealing with white-collar criminals in general?
A. I like dealing with them because they are educated so when I explain something to them they understand
what I have to say. They speak excellent English so I don't have to say, "Uh? Uh?" When I get people like that
they're going to pay extra — I call it a stupidity fee.
Q. How much do you charge?
A. The fee starts at $1,000 and includes me doing an assessment of the crime, reviewing the indictment and
plea agreement, taking a look at your presentence report and giving you some advice on what to tell your lawyer.
Q. An example of someone you've helped?
A. I had a phone call today from somebody who got released not too long ago. They got eight and a half months
off a 30-month sentence for bribing a public official. They had a substance-abuse problem, and their lawyer
never addressed it. I was able to assist them into a rehab program to get their sentenced reduced.
Q. What does it say about our society that you get so many calls from white-collar types?
A. Everybody is on the take, people are out for themselves. People are maybe running a little scared because a
lot of people calling me haven't been charged with anything but they're doing an exploratory thing — How much
time would this be? — which tells me they probably committed the crime. I have people tell me they're calling for
a friend. I know they're lying. So I say, Maybe you should have your friend send me a check.
Q. Do you ever hear from anybody at the Bureau of Prisons?
A. I have tracking software on my Web site and the BOP is on there every day looking at s---, they're just looking
at everything. I think they're frustrated with me because first of all, I'm not breaking any law. And do you really
think the BOP appreciates me explaining how to get out early, how to manipulate their system?
Q. What would you be doing if you weren't in the prison consulting business?
A. Selling more stuff on eBay.
Q. What's your eBay screen name?
A. Majorviolator.
Susan Taylor Martin can be contacted at susan@sptimes.com.
A. If somebody rips off a bank or an insurance company, big business — that's what white-collar crime is all
about, and I don't have a problem helping them because half the country is on the take anyway. But Bernie
Madoff affected individual people, like an economic terrorist. It could have been your family members, your
neighbors, your friends. He didn't just ruin people's lives — he ruined their grandchildren's lives. He's going to
affect people for generations.
Q. If you don't consider him a typical white-collar criminal, what do you consider him?
A. I view him in the same category as child molesters or kiddie pornographers — they are outcasts. I have child
porno people call me all the time and I give them free advice — basically, Pray, because you're going to get beat
up every single day.
Q. What can Madoff expect in prison?
A. He can expect to have a lonely, pathetic road. Most people in custody have an "out date," so what you have to
look forward to is getting released. Bernie's life has changed, Bernie doesn't have anything to look forward to
except maybe Ruth showing up on the weekend calling him a son of a b-----.
Q. What advice would you have given Madoff had his "camp'' hired you?
A. He needs to keep his mouth shut, his ears open, show respect, humble himself. He needs to wipe that
arrogant smile off his face, and he should not trust anybody where he's at because the institutions are loaded
with informants and they would like nothing better than to find something out on Bernie to trade to the FBI to use
as a tool to get time off on their own sentence.
Q. Anything else?
A. He needs to maintain high visibility and refrain from putting himself in a situation where he'd be
compromised. Don't engage in gambling, don't borrow anything from anybody, don't lie, don't tell on anybody.
That's one thing I can say about Bernie. He didn't tell on anybody. I can respect that.
Q. Why is that admirable? Shouldn't others who were involved also be punished?
A. I have a contorted logic. I believe he should return the money to the rightful owners, but on the other hand I
don't believe in implicating others. Nobody respects an informant, nobody respects a stool pigeon.
Q. What other inmates might pose a threat to Madoff?
A. There's the cliche that Jews are greedy. People will probably say he's a greedy Jewish thief and you've got the
Aryan white power people that are not going to show Bernie respect and that's the kind he has to worry about.
Q. Anyone else?
A. Bernie doesn't need to worry about his victims. They are angry but generally harmless. What he needs to
worry about are the people who have the money because they're going to want to hurt Bernie. When you steal
$50 billion, you don't do it on your own, you've got to have help. And the people who have the money, the
government would love to know who they are. They're probably threatening Bernie's family. That's why Bernie's
not talking, it's obvious to me. They'd like nothing better than to shut Bernie up. You take a few million and
spread some money around to inmates' families and corrections officers to cause a diversion (in prison) and
kill him. That's why he needs to maintain a high profile. Stay in the presence of officers. Stay around people.
Q. Where is Madoff likely to do his time?
A. He really belongs in a minimum-security camp based on his age and education and crime. The problem he
has is the amount of time he got — 150 years. It's too much for a camp and the criteria doesn't call for high
security. So he'll go to medium security. He'll be around murderers and rapists.
Q. What kind of cell?
A. A two-man cell. He'll have a steel toilet with sink and he's going to be living out of a 4-foot by 2-foot locker. He
can have newspapers, softcover books, pictures, letters. He'll be able to buy snack items from the inmate
commissary.
Q. How do you like dealing with white-collar criminals in general?
A. I like dealing with them because they are educated so when I explain something to them they understand
what I have to say. They speak excellent English so I don't have to say, "Uh? Uh?" When I get people like that
they're going to pay extra — I call it a stupidity fee.
Q. How much do you charge?
A. The fee starts at $1,000 and includes me doing an assessment of the crime, reviewing the indictment and
plea agreement, taking a look at your presentence report and giving you some advice on what to tell your lawyer.
Q. An example of someone you've helped?
A. I had a phone call today from somebody who got released not too long ago. They got eight and a half months
off a 30-month sentence for bribing a public official. They had a substance-abuse problem, and their lawyer
never addressed it. I was able to assist them into a rehab program to get their sentenced reduced.
Q. What does it say about our society that you get so many calls from white-collar types?
A. Everybody is on the take, people are out for themselves. People are maybe running a little scared because a
lot of people calling me haven't been charged with anything but they're doing an exploratory thing — How much
time would this be? — which tells me they probably committed the crime. I have people tell me they're calling for
a friend. I know they're lying. So I say, Maybe you should have your friend send me a check.
Q. Do you ever hear from anybody at the Bureau of Prisons?
A. I have tracking software on my Web site and the BOP is on there every day looking at s---, they're just looking
at everything. I think they're frustrated with me because first of all, I'm not breaking any law. And do you really
think the BOP appreciates me explaining how to get out early, how to manipulate their system?
Q. What would you be doing if you weren't in the prison consulting business?
A. Selling more stuff on eBay.
Q. What's your eBay screen name?
A. Majorviolator.
Susan Taylor Martin can be contacted at susan@sptimes.com.
