U.S. Marshals office warns Madoff fans

BALTIMORE, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marshals Service said buyers should beware at sales of merchandise purportedly belonging to convicted swindler Bernie Madoff.

The marshals office conducts Madoff liquidations for the Justice Department and said it has received numerous calls about unofficial Madoff auctions, The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday.

"Any auctions outside our own that use the Madoff name are not sanctioned by the U.S. Marshals Service," marshals spokesman Lynzey Donahue said.

A recent auction of merchandise purportedly belonging to Madoff left some buyers disgruntled.

"I'm outraged and I'm sad because I feel people are going to be taken advantage of," said Matthew Franco, a student at the Johns Hopkins University.

Franco attended an auction at the Grey Rock Mansion in Pikesville, Md., where items said to belong to Madoff were being sold.

"This is just run-of-the-mill stuff," said Keith Franz, a Towson, Md., resident. "I'm curious how they can come into a community and represent that the auction items are Madoff's."

Madoff is serving a 150-year sentence for bilking investors of $50 billion.