Mets owners settle for $162 million before civil case

The New York Mets' big court case has been called on account of settlement.

That's the word from Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, who tweets the settlement in the Bernie Madoff-related civil case is worth $162 million with Mets owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz on the hook for about $29 million.

Jury selection in the civil case was slated to begin on Monday morning. The trial was to determine whether or not the Mets had to pay back an additional $303 million in fictitious profits it gained from Madoff's infamous Ponzi scheme. A previous ruling said that Wilpon and Katz would be responsible for refunding $83 million to investors jilted by Madoff, an unknowing group that the Mets owners still say they were also a part of.  The settlement does not include an admission to the plaintiffs claims that the owners had been willfully ignorant while profiting from Madoff's deception.

The Associated Press also reports that no payments will be made for the next three years, so it would seem Wilpon and Katz will be able to retain ownership of the team for the foreseeable future.

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