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Posted: 2019-07-24T19:01:59Z | Updated: 2019-07-24T19:01:59Z

Bernie Madoff wants a favor from Donald Trump: Hes asking the president to reduce his 150-year prison sentence.

The 81-year-old Ponzi schemer has filed a petition for clemency with the Department of Justice. Hes seeking not a complete pardon, just a reduced sentence, according to FoxBusiness.com.

Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 crimes in 2009 that were connected with what CNBC called the largest Ponzi scheme in history . Prosecutors said his company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, swindled thousands of investors out of billions of dollars.

The Justice Department would not reveal when Madoffs request was submitted, but noted that it typically takes from one month to three months for a clemency application to appear on its website, which Madoffs now does. The DOJ website lists the status of Madoffs clemency case as pending.

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Its unclear whether Trump will consider the request.

Trump, in his 2009 book Think Like a Champion, calls Madoff without a doubt a sleazebag and a scoundrel without par, according to U.S. News . Trump said he turned down Madoffs investment pitch because Im not a fund guy.

The Justice Department says on its website that it has received 1,003 petitions for pardons and 5,657 for sentence commutations since Trump has been president. So far, Trump has granted 10 pardons and four commutations.