Enron's Skilling Sentenced To 24 Years, 4 Months

[AliceInWonderland]

I would prefer he die of a massive painful heart attack like Lay; but this will do too.

kcal.com
Enron's Skilling Sentenced To 24 Years, 4 Months
CBS News Interactive: Lights Out At Enron


(AP) HOUSTON Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, the most vilified figure from the financial scandal of the decade, was sentenced Monday to 24 years, four months in the harshest sentence yet from the energy trading giant's collapse.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered Skilling, 52, to home confinement, wearing an ankle monitor, and told the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to recommend when Skilling should report to prison. Lake recommended no date, but suggested Skilling be sent to the federal facility in Butner, N.C., for his role in a case that came to symbolize corporate fraud in America.

Skilling, insisting he was innocent yet remorseful in a two-hour hearing, was the last top former official to be punished for the accounting tricks and shady business deals that led to the loss of thousands of jobs, more than $60 billion in Enron stock and more than $2 billion in employee pension plans when Enron collapsed.

Lake denied Skilling's request for bond.

Skilling's term is the longest received by any Enron defendant; former chief financial officer Andrew Fastow was given a six-year term after cooperating with prosecutors and helping them secure Skilling's conviction. It falls just shy of the sentence imposed on WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers, who received 25 years for his role in the $11 billion accounting fraud that toppled the company he built from a tiny telecommunications firm to an industry giant.

Skilling stood with his hands clasped below his waist, with attorney Daniel Petrocelli at his side. He gave no visible reaction to the sentence. After court adjourned, Skilling hugged Petrocelli.

Skilling's arrogance, belligerence and lack of contriteness under questioning made him a lightning rod for the rage generated by the collapse of Enron in 2001.

"Your honor, I am innocent of these charges," Skilling told Lake. "I'm innocent of every one of these charges.

"We will continue to pursue my constitutional rights and it's no dishonor to this court and anyone else in this court. But I feel very strongly about this, and I want my friends, my family to know that."

Skilling also disputed reports that he had no remorse for his role in the fraud that led to Enron's collapse in 2001, which wiped out thousands of jobs, more than $60 billion in market value and more than $2 billion in pension plans.

"I can tell you that's just the furthest thing from the truth," he said. "It's been very hard on me, but probably, more important, incredibly hard on my family, incredibly hard on employees of Enron Corp., incredibly hard on my friends and incredibly hard on the community.

"And I want my friends, my family to know this."

Skilling's second wife, former Enron corporate secretary Rebecca Carter, was in the courtroom.

Skilling was convicted in May on 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors. He was acquitted on nine counts of insider trading.

On Monday, Lake set investor loss tied to his actions at $80 million, which he will rely on to set the sentence under new, tougher federal guidelines. With that figure, Skilling faced between 24.3 years to 30.4 years in prison.

Skilling also faces more than $18 million in fines for his crimes.

Victims unleashed nearly five years of anger on Skilling and begged Lake to send Skilling to prison for life.

"Mr. Skilling has proven to be a liar, a thief and a drunk, flaunting an attitude above the law," said 22-year Enron employee Dawn Powers Martin. "He has betrayed everyone who has trusted him. Shame on me for believing the management of Enron."

Two chose not to vilify Skilling, however.

"I can't state strongly enough, during 20 years, have I seen or heard anything that he was leading a massive conspiracy to mislead Enron shareholders and employees," said one of them, Sherri Sera, a former administrative assistant. She said she too had lost thousands in Enron stock and benefits but took blame for her own failure to diversify.

Skilling's co-defendant, Enron founder Kenneth Lay, died from heart disease on July 5. Lay's convictions on 10 counts of fraud, conspiracy and lying to banks in two separate cases were wiped out with his death.

Jurors decided Skilling and Lay repeatedly lied about Enron's financial health when they knew an illusion of success was propped up by accounting maneuvers that hid debt and inflated profits.

Enron's crash and the subsequent scandals roiled Wall Street, sent investors fleeing, prompted stiffened white collar penalties and upped regulatory scrutiny over publicly traded companies.

Skilling maintained his innocence before, during and even after his trial, insisting no fraud occurred at Enron other than that committed by a few executives skimming millions in secret side deals, and that bad press and poor market confidence combined to sink the company.

Skilling never endeared himself to co-workers, or even the city, the way Lay had with his affable demeanor and charity work.

Since his indictment, Skilling has had two run-ins with the law for public drunkenness.

Skilling has asked that he be allowed to remain free on bail pending his appeals in the case. Lake will rule on that request Monday.

Prosecutors have also asked that Skilling turn over nearly $183 million, which they claim he pocketed while at Enron. The U.S. government had divided that amount between Skilling and Lay. But Lay's death has left that amount solely on Skilling.

The government contends about $60 million in Skilling's cash and property that has been frozen since his indictment could be applied to the total amount they are seeking.

During his trial, Skilling listed his remaining assets as including a $5 million mansion in Houston, a $350,000 condo in Dallas, a Mercedes Benz, two Land Rovers and nearly $50 million in stock and bonds frozen by the government.

Skilling also still owes Petrocelli and his team about $30 million beyond the $23 million already paid in legal fees.

Skilling, who was born in Pittsburgh and raised in New Jersey and suburban Chicago, spent 11 years at Enron. He has three children -- aged 22, 20 and 16 -- from his first marriage. He and Carter have no children.

He took over as chief executive from Lay in February 2001 but abruptly quit six months later, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Prosecutors said he left Enron because he knew the company was on the brink of bankruptcy.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

I hope to gawd that the lawyers don't get all the assets and that it goes to the ppl Enron bankrupted and virtually stole from; their own employees!

[LynnieD]

Mmmm hmmm...innocent my ass. My husband is a CPA and has worked with numerous large companies, though not as high up as this clown, and he said that HE knows of impropieties at the companies he has worked at--and he's nothing!! So this jackass TOTALLY KNEW. F you Skilling. Have fun!!