(Enron) Lea Fastow plea deal scrapped

[RamboLiberal]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/07/news/midcaps/enron_fastow/index.htm?cnn=yes

Ex-Enron executive Lea Fastow -- the wife of ex-chief financial officer Andrew Fastow -- changed her plea to "not guilty" of filing a false tax return Wednesday after the judge in her case rejected a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

Judge David Hittner moved the trial of Lea Fastow, a former assistant treasurer at the energy trading company, to Brownsville, Texas, from Houston, and set a jury selection date of June 2.

Hittner, speaking from the bench, said he saw no reason why Lea Fastow should serve less than the 10 to 16 months in prison recommended by probation officials, Reuters reported.

Lea Fastow pleaded guilty Jan. 14 to filing a false tax return in exchange for prosecutors' recommendation that would sentence her to five months in prison. Her husband pleaded guilty the same day to wire and securities fraud and agreed to cooperate in exchange for a recommended 10-year prison term.