NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge rejected Bernard Madoff's plea
for leniency Monday, sentencing the 71-year-old swindler to spend
the rest of his life in prison for an "extraordinarily evil"
fraud that took a staggering toll on thousands of victims.

U.S. District Judge Denny Chin cited the unprecedented nature of
the multibillion-dollar fraud as he sentenced Madoff to the maximum
of 150 years in prison, a term comparable only to those given in
the past to terrorists, traitors and the most violent criminals.
There is no parole in federal prison so Madoff will most likely die
there.

"Here, the message must be sent that Mr. Madoff's crimes were
extraordinarily evil and that this kind of irresponsible
manipulation of the system is not merely a bloodless financial
crime that takes place just on paper, but it is instead ... one
that takes a staggering human toll," Chin said.

The massive Ponzi scheme run by Madoff since at least the early
1990s demolished the life savings of thousands of people, wrecked
charities and shook confidence in the U.S. financial system.

The actual loss so far has been put at $13.2 billion. But the
judge said that was a conservative estimate and noted that even
Madoff told his sons in December it was a $50 billion fraud.

The sentence reflected a growing tendency over the last decade
to give white-collar criminals lengthy prison terms. But nothing
before has come close to the time given Madoff - an outcome that
prompted scattered applause and whoops from a group of burned
former clients in a packed Manhattan courtroom.

The judge noted that not one of the more than 100 letters he
received supported Madoff or described any good deeds he had done.

"The absence of such support is telling," Chin said.

Chin announced the sentence with Madoff standing at the defense
table, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and a tie, and looking
thinner than his last court appearance in March. He gave no
noticeable reaction when the sentence was announced.

He also showed no emotion though he looked down earlier in the
hearing as he listened to nine victims spend nearly an hour venting
their despair and anger. Some openly wept or raised their voices,
labeling Madoff a "monster," "a true beast" and an "evil low-life."

"Life has been a living hell. It feels like the nightmare we
can't wake from," said Carla Hirshhorn.

"He stole from the rich. He stole from the poor. He stole from
the in between. He had no values," said Tom Fitzmaurice. "He
cheated his victims out of their money so he and his wife Ruth
could live a life of luxury beyond belief."

Dominic Ambrosino called it an "indescribably heinous crime"
and urged a long prison sentence so he "will know he is imprisoned
in much the same way he imprisoned us and others."

He added: "In a sense, I would like somebody in the court today
to tell me how long is my sentence."

Sheryl Weinstein, a certified accountant, said Madoff was
effective because he seemed normal.

"But underneath the facade is a true beast," she said. "He
should not be given the opportunity to blend so seamlessly into our
society again."

When asked by the judge whether he had anything to say, Madoff
slowly stood, leaned forward on the defense table and spoke in a
monotone for about 10 minutes. At various times, he referred to his
monumental fraud as a "problem," "an error of judgment" and "a
tragic mistake."

He claimed he and his wife were tormented, saying she "cries
herself to sleep every night, knowing all the pain and suffering I
have caused," he said. "That's something I live with, as well."

He then finally looked at the victims lining the first row of the gallery.

"I will turn and face you," he said mechanically. "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't help you."

His immediately family did not attend the sentencing. But Ruth
Madoff - often a target of victims' scorn since her husband's
arrest - broke her silence afterward by issuing a statement through
her lawyer. She said she, too, had been misled.

"I am embarrassed and ashamed," she said. "Like everyone
else, I feel betrayed and confused. The man who committed this
horrible fraud is not the man whom I have known for all these
years."

Prosecutor Lisa Baroni said Madoff deserved a life sentence
because he "stole ruthlessly and without remorse."

Outside court, some victims said it was time to move on.

"He stole my money. He didn't steal my life," said Ron Weinstein, whose wife spoke in court. "I'm not going to sit around and mope about it."

Madoff, who has been jailed since March, already has taken a
severe financial hit: Last week, a judge issued a preliminary $171
billion forfeiture order stripping Madoff of all his personal
property, including real estate, investments, and $80 million in
assets his wife Ruth had claimed were hers. The order left her with
$2.5 million that couldn't be tied to the fraud.

The terms require the Madoffs to sell a $7 million Manhattan
apartment where Ruth Madoff still lives. An $11 million estate in
Palm Beach, Fla., a $4 million home in Montauk and a $2.2 million
boat will be put on the market as well.

Before Madoff became a symbol of Wall Street greed, he earned a
reputation as a trusted money manager with a Midas touch. Even as
the market fluctuated, clients of his secretive investment advisory
business - from Florida retirees to celebrities such as Steven
Spielberg, actor Kevin Bacon and Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax
- for decades enjoyed steady double-digit returns.

But late last year, Madoff made a dramatic confession:
Authorities say he pulled his sons aside and told them it was "all
just one big lie."

Madoff pleaded guilty in March to securities fraud and other
charges, saying he was "deeply sorry and ashamed." He insisted
that he acted alone, describing a separate wholesale stock-trading
firm run by his sons and brother as honest and legitimate.

Aside from an accountant accused of cooking Madoff's books, no
one else has been criminally charged. But the family, including his
wife, and brokerage firms who recruited investors have come under
intense scrutiny by the FBI, regulators and a court-appointed
trustee overseeing the liquidation of Madoff's assets.

The trustee and prosecutors have sought to go after assets to
compensate thousands of victims who have filed claims against
Madoff. How much is available to pay them remains unknown, though
it's expected to be only a fraction of the astronomical losses
associated with the fraud.

The $171 billion forfeiture figure used by prosecutors merely
mirrors the amount they estimate that, over decades, flowed in and
out of the principal account to perpetrate the Ponzi scheme. The
statements sent to investors showing their accounts were worth as
much as $65 billion were fiction.

The investigation has found that in reality, Madoff never made
any investments, instead using the money from new investors to pay
returns to existing clients - and to finance a lavish lifestyle for
his family.