Madoff's ex-secretary from Boca makes bail, gets NY house arrest

NEW YORK (AP) -- Bernard Madoff's former secretary has made bail and will await her New York trial while on house arrest.

Annette Bongiorno, of Boca Raton, is facing trial on charges of conspiracy and securities fraud.

A Manhattan federal judge agreed Friday to reduce her bail from $5 million to $3 million. She's expected to be released later in the day to house arrest on Long Island.

Her lawyers had sought the bail reduction. They said electronic monitoring and frozen finances would eliminate any flight risk.

Madoff is serving a 150-year prison sentence. He pleaded guilty in 2009 to fraud charges, admitting he cheated thousands of clients over two decades.

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