Bernard Madoff, who is serving 150 years in jail for defrauding investors, was beaten up by an inmate at the federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, a report by the Wall Street Journal said. According to a former inmate, a felon attacked Madoff in December while he was serving the first month of his sentence. Madoff allegedly suffered a broken nose and bruised ribs. Madoff was moved to a minimum security medical center for treatment after the attack, the source told the WSJ.

The Bureau of Prisons had denied at the time that Madoff, who siphoned $65 billion from investors through a Ponzi scheme, was beaten up. Prison officials had said that Madoff was brought to the clinic to be treated for hypertension and dizziness. They added that Madoff did not say that he was attacked when the incident was investigated.

However, prison experts said that inmates usually do not reveal details about any attack to avoid being branded a snitch. In addition, high-profile inmates like Madoff are usually targeted to get money from them.

Madoff has since been returned to his medium-security unit.