‘Ponzi’ a Carton of lies, he cries

Former WFAN loudmouth Craig Carton has filed papers asking a judge to prevent prosecutors from calling his alleged Ponzi scheme involving resold tickets a Ponzi scheme.

“Use of the term ‘Ponzi scheme' would unduly prejudice Mr. Carton by confusing the jury as to the actual offenses alleged and inflaming the jury's emotions and inviting comparison to other high-profile cases where the term was used by the media,” Carton attorney Derrelle Janey wrote.

“There is little doubt that the real purpose for the government's usage of the term ‘Ponzi scheme' during trial is to incite jury emotion and tar Mr. Carton as a criminal.”

The term became common after Bernard Madoff was charged in 2008 in in a $64.8 billion Ponzi scheme — the largest financial fraud in history.

“Certain words are inappropriate to use in a federal trial,” Carton attorney Robert Gottlieb said.

“It goes beyond Madoff for sure — it has nothing to do with Madoff.”

Carton's request came in dueling papers from the defense and government regarding what both sides will be able to say to the jury at the trial starting Oct. 29.

Carton (photo inset) was arrested last September for a $4.6 million scheme in which he allegedly used money from investors in a ticket reselling business to repay his massive gambling debts.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, sought to prevent Carton from touting his ties to law enforcement to the jury.

“Since his arrest, Carton has sought to emphasize his connections to law enforcement,” Manhattan Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisha Kobre wrote. “For example, Carton hosted (a) podcast called ‘Walk the Beat Wednesday,' on which he interviewed former members of the NYPD.”

In an interview, Carton had declared himself “a vocal supporter” of cops.

“Carton is not a member of law enforcement, has never worked as a law enforcement officer,” Kobre wrote.