No leniency for ex-Enron exec

Judge rejects mercy plea in sentencing ex-Enron exec

Bruce Nichols, 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.