NEW YORK (AP) — A senior partner at a New York accounting firm pleaded guilty to criminal charges Tuesday in a cooperation deal with the government, saying he unwittingly played a role in financier Bernard Madoff’s “horrific and evil Ponzi scheme.”

The firm executive, Paul Konigsberg, pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to conspiracy and two counts of falsifying books and records. He also agreed to forfeit $4.4 million in cash and property. Sentencing was set for Sept. 19, though cooperation will likely delay the date.

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