Judge rejects mercy plea in sentencing ex-Enron exec

[MaineDem]

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Monday rejected a plea for mercy from prosecutors and sentenced a former Enron Corp. executive who testified against Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling to 30 months in prison.

David W. Delainey, a Canadian who pleaded guilty to insider trading in 2003 and cooperated extensively with the U.S. Justice Department's Enron Task Force, had been praised by prosecutors for his help in the case.

Enron collapsed in a tangle of fraud in 2001, causing investors to lose billions and costing employees their jobs and retirement savings. Delainey's testimony helped convict Lay, the former Enron chairman, and Skilling, the former chief executive, last summer.

The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt was less than the 33 to 41 months provided under federal sentencing guidelines, but Deputy Task Force Director Kathryn Ruemmler had sought leniency and defense lawyer John Dowd had recommended probation.



http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/09/18/judge_rejects_mercy_plea_in_sentencing_ex_enron_exec/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News