Seven former Enron executives, including the wife of former chief financial officer Mr Andrew Fastow, surrendered to US federal authorities today and are expected to face criminal charges as a fraud investigation at the bankrupt energy company intensifies.
Sources close to the case have said three Enron former finance executives, including Ms Lea Fastow, the wife of the indicted former chief financial officer, were expected to be charged with fraud today.
These sources also said prosecutors would unseal an indictment charging five former Enron Broadband Services (EBS) executives, including division chief Mr Ken Rice. The four others include two former top executives at EBS and two technology executives at the unit.
The latest charges would follow earlier indictments or guilty pleas by seven other former Enron executives. Former Chairman Mr Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Mr Jeffrey Skilling, however, have yet to be charged in the probe by the US Justice Department into allegations that Enron executives hid debt and enriched themselves.
Mr Dan Boyle, a former vice president of finance at Enron, was the first to turn himself in at the FBI office.
"Prosecuting this guy is like prosecuting the piano player in a whorehouse," Mr Bill Rosch, Boyle's attorney, said after arriving with his client in a convertible Porsche.
The other former EBS executives who surrendered today were Mr Joseph Hirko, Mr Kevin Hannon, and Mr Scott Yeager. A fifth former EBS executive, Mr Rex Shelby, was expected to turn himself in at a later date due to a family emergency, according to sources.
