Stewart: Martha Becomes Prisoner No. 55170-054

Martha Stewart Becomes Prisoner No. 55170-054

Greg Levine, 09-27-04
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">

NEW YORK - Doers and doings in business, entertainment and technology: If only Victor Hugo were here to write about it: Mademoiselle "55170-054."

That's the new identity of celebrity convict Martha Stewart. It was announced Monday that the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has assigned the dehumanized "name" to the home-decor doyenne turned federal inmate. A judge ruled last week that Stewart must begin serving her five-month prison sentence by Oct. 8, which fits the vision of the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia founder, who to put the "nightmare" behind her.

She was convicted in the spring of lying to the U.S. government about her trade in shares of biotech ImClone Systems stock. The bureau had not notified Stewart of a prison assignment Monday, said Martin Weinberg, one of her appeals lawyers. After the five months in the hoosegow, Stewart will serve five months under house arrest at her estate in Bedford, N.Y.

Perhaps Kmart Holding in whose stores her namesake wares continue to draw loyal shoppers--will someday feature embroidered "55170-054" linens?