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Bernie Madoff’s sister, brother-in-law found dead in South Florida home

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — The sister and brother-in-law of Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff were found dead in their South Florida home, authorities said.

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Sondra Wiener, 87, and Marvin Wiener, 90, were found dead of gunshot wounds on Thursday afternoon in Boynton Beach, the Miami Herald reported. The news was first reported by Boca News Now on Saturday.

“After further investigation, it appears to be a murder-suicide,” the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.

It is unclear which person shot the other one, the sheriff’s office said.

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office took possession of both bodies to determine the cause of death, WBPF-TV reported.

The Wieners lived in the Valencia Lakes area outside Boynton Beach, the Herald reported. According to Palm Beach County property appraiser online records, the couple bought the home for $315,000 in December 2009.

Madoff was known for orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme that wiped out people’s fortunes and ruined charities, according to The Associated Press. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to fraud and other charges; he died while incarcerated in North Carolina on April 14, 2021. He was 82.

>> Bernie Madoff, former financier and Ponzi schemer, dies in prison at 82

Sondra Wiener and Marvin Wiener also reportedly lost millions in the investment scam run by Madoff, the Herald reported.

The couple was sued by the trustee representing Madoff’s victims, alleging that they “received at least $1,715,000 of other people’s money,” the Sun-Sentinel reported in 2010.

Palm Beach County property records state the couple sold their 3,409-square foot in Palm Beach Gardens at a $75,900 loss in May 2009, the newspaper reported. The couple sold the home for $575,000, the Sun-Sentinel reported.