Results tagged “enronceo”

Good morning, Houston. We heard a few weeks ago about a bat infestation at TSU, but now there's something else happening in the halls of academia: a bee infestation at UH. It seems 100,000 of the industrious little critters have taken up residence in the walls of the Cullen College of Engineering, but rather than exterminate, the university is planning to move the bees to a wooded section of campus. Beekeeper Mike Knuckley will... more ›

Good morning, Houston. At Houstonist world headquarters, our e-mail boxes are graced almost daily with offers from people who want to move millions of dollars to U.S. bank accounts and allow us to take a huge share of the money just for helping — eh, all in a day. But there's a new e-mail in the same vein floating around now: It comes from someone claiming to be Michelle Kristine Kraiser, the "the Confidential... more ›

Remember former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling's unusual stroke of good luck when he learned Monday that he wouldn't be sent to jail as scheduled? Well, scratch that: A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decided yesterday that Skilling should report immediately to jail after all. Sucks to be you, Jeff. more ›

Looks like former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling will have at least a bit longer at home before he has to report to a federal prison in Minnesota: Yesterday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals postponed Skilling's report date while it considers his request for bail while he appeals his convictions on 19 charges of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading in connection with Enron's collapse. It's a short-term reprieve for Skilling, and it could point to promising developments for him in the long term: more ›

Weeks before he's set to report to prison, former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling has agreed to the distribution of $85 million to former Enron employees, part of a series of settlements totaling $265 million for more than 20,000 workers trying to recover some part of their pensions. "Yes, it's over. Our clients are thrilled," Lynn Sarko, a lawyer representing former Enroners, said. "While they are grateful that some of their retirement money was recovered, it... more ›

So Jeff Skilling had the next chunk of his life mapped out for him this afternoon: The former Enron CEO was sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison, meaning he'll get out of jail when he's 76. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered Skilling to home confinement for a while — for how long, it's not clear: Lake asked the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to recommend when Skilling should be sent to jail.... more ›

Five months after former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling was found guilty of 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading, Skilling will learn his fate at 1 p.m. today in the federal courthouse at 515 Rusk Ave. And the hearing is open to the public — so hey, if you're having a slow afternoon, why not swing by? more ›

So former Enron Chairman Ken Lay's criminal record is now clean, thanks to a ruling yesterday from U.S. District Judge Sim Lake that erased Lay's convictions on 10 counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with Enron's collapse. Too bad Lay's not around to enjoy the freedom. In his ruling, Lake agreed with lawyers for Lay's estate who argued that the conviction should be erased and indictments against Lay dropped because of his death from... more ›

This summer, about two months after former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling was convicted of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors in connection with the Enron collapse, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake denied Skilling's request to have his conviction overturned. But never say Skilling is a quitter: Now, he's again asking Lake to overturn his conviction, this time based on a federal appeals court ruling. The ruling in question had to do with some... more ›

The Chronicle is reporting that ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling was arrested and accused of public intoxication in Dallas earlier this month — but he won't go to jail for violating the terms of his bond. Skilling was arrested in the early morning of Sept. 9 in the 3600 block of McKinney Avenue; he wasn't drinking at the time and didn't resist arrest. Public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor, carries a fine of up to $500; Skilling got a $385 ticket and was briefly held in a city jail. more ›

And the Enron legal saga goes on: A day after we learned that Judge Sim Lake approved a request from Lay's lawyers to substitute Lay's estate for Lay in court proceedings, the first step toward vacating the dead former Enron leader's conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges, Lay's estate attorneys filed a request today to erase the convictions and dismiss the indictment against Lay. But it looks like prosecutors aren't going to take that lying down: The filing included a sentence that said Lay's lawyer, Michael Ramsey, had "conferred with [prosecutor] Kathy Ruemmler, who indicated the government will oppose this motion." more ›

We imagine Jeff Skilling is somewhere drowning his sorrows in a Schlitz: Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake denied the former Enron CEO's request to overturn his convictions on fraud, conspiracy and insider trading charges. Skilling claimed the evidence presented in his trial earlier this year was insufficient, so his convictions on 19 of 28 charges should be dismissed. Well, nice try anyway, Jeff. more ›

Thanks to the Chronicle's Shelby Hodge, we have an idea of what Ken Lay's first memorial service was like yesterday. The Lay family barred media from the Aspen, Colo., service, which we suppose is why the AP story was relatively short on details. But Hodge talked to some people who attended, and she got a pretty good idea of what went on. Nearly 200 people attended the service, at which the Rev. Bill Lawson of... more ›

Ex-Enron chairman Ken Lay's funeral arrangements have been made, but the state of his legal affairs remains up in the air — at least for now. more ›

Turns out Jeff Skilling has a plan to save his skin after all: The former Enron CEO has asked a judge to overturn his guilty verdict. Sneaky devil! We never would have thought of that. more ›

If you didn't see Jeff Skilling's interview with The Wall Street Journal on Saturday, here's what you missed: He thought about killing himself, became resolved to live when federal prosecutors went after him, thinks he helped convict himself and maintains he's not guilty. "I've come to the conclusion that life is better than the alternative, which was not a conclusion that was real clear to me for a period of time," Skilling told the Journal.... more ›

Things aren't that easy these days for ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling: Not only has he been convicted of helping bring down a huge energy company, but now he can't get at some $60 million of his money. Skilling's lawyers are trying to change that, though, by asking the government to release the $60 mil — partly so he can have some spending money, but mostly because Skilling still owes his legal team millions of dollars. more ›

In what legal analysts are calling a "slam dunk" for the prosecution, the jury in the trial of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling found the former Enron executives guilty of charges relating to securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy this morning after just more than five days of deliberation. more ›

An accounting consultant being paid by former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling testified yesterday that Skilling — and Enron — did nothing wrong in the accounting practices prosecution witnesses called shady and dishonest. Accountant Walter Rush was testifying in the trial of Skilling and former Enron Chairman Ken Lay, which is in its last days. more ›

Ken Lay burst into his first day of cross-examination yesterday, angrily denying that he had tried to influence witnesses and implying that prosecutor John Hueston was one of the people Lay accused of carrying out a "character assassination" against him. Lay, the former Enron chairman, has been on the witness stand in his and ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling's trial all week; Wednesday was the first of as many as three days he'll spend being questioned by government prosecutors. more ›

responsible" play. more ›

Ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling finished his eight days of testimony in his own trial yesterday, saying his experience since Enron started its downward slide has made him wish he never ran the company, which was the seventh largest in the nation before it collapsed. "It's been a tough six years, it's been a really hard six years," he told reporters Thursday. more ›

Prosecutor Sean Berkowitz abruptly ended cross-examination of former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling yesterday after asking Skilling whether he didn't leave Enron in August 2001 because he wanted to become CEO of Lucent Technologies. Skilling has given several reasons for leaving the company, mainly related to Enron burnout and wanting to spend more time with his family, but prosecutors claim he resigned because he knew Enron was headed for collapse. more ›

In his second day of cross-examination, former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling lost his cool at times Tuesday, even seeming to try to take control of the questioning from prosecutor Sean Berkowitz. Skilling lashed out at Berkowitz when Berkowitz was pressing him on the allegation that Enron execs used the company's reserves like a "cookie jar" to make Enron look more profitable. Skilling said the reserves weren't used in that way: "It's not only no —... more ›

Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling began testimony under cross-examination yesterday, quickly finding that prosecutor Sean Berkowitz wasn't going to give him much latitutde. Berkowitz seemed very well-versed in Skilling's deals at Enron, pressing the former executive on details of his deals and side deals and trying to unravel the defense's portrayal of Skilling as a regular ol' good guy who is unfairly burdened by false accusations. more ›

Ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling kept denying accusations against him during testimony in his trial yesterday, saying he would have called the FBI if he had ever become aware of any criminal activity at Enron. Maybe. "I was aware of no illegal activity occurring at Enron Corp.," Skilling said. "I would have called the FBI. I might have a little hesitation now about doing that," he said. "You're a little angry at the government aren't you?"... more ›

Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling continued testifying in his and ex-Chairman Ken Lay's trial yesterday, maintaining his innocence and saying he didn't remember doing some of things he's been accused of. more ›

Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling began the rather tough task of convincing the jurors that he's just like you and me — er, like them — during his first day of testimony in his and ex-Enron Chairman Ken Lay's trial yesterday. Skilling, you'll remember, was known for the grace and charm with which he treated people during his days at the Big E (there was that infamous conference call during which Skilling called an analyst... more ›

Prosecutors rested their case against former Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling yesterday, asking Judge Sim Lake to drop three charges against Skilling and one against Lay. The dropped charges against Skilling concern a 2000 deal, Project Greyhawk, which prosecutors say the ex-Enron CEO and others created to take advantage of an anticipated jump in Enron's stock price. But to prosecute those allegations, the government would have had to get into the business of... more ›

Ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling tried to sell one-fifth of his Enron stock days before the Sept. 11 attacks, his broker testified Monday. Though the attemped sale wasn't illegal, it does cast doubt on Skilling's statements to SEC investigators that the reason he tried to sell the stock was because of post-Sept. 11 concerns, not Enron's tottering corporate health. more ›