Imprisoned Madoff pitches in to aid ex-employee

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff is pitching in from prison to help a lawyer for an ex-employee prepare for his client's New York sentencing next month.

A lawyer for one of five defendants convicted earlier this year included emails Madoff wrote from a North Carolina prison in his Wednesday submission to a sentencing judge.

The lawyer, Larry Krantz, is representing computer programmer George Perez. Perez was among five ex-employees of Madoff's firm who were convicted in March of conspiracy to defraud clients, securities fraud and falsifying the books and records of a broker dealer. They are set to be sentenced next month.

Madoff, serving a 150-year sentence, defended Perez and another computer programmer, saying there was no way they would think the records they produced were part of a fraud.