Enron’s Skilling Charged With Public Intoxication

Jeffrey K. Skilling, the former Enron Corp. chief executive awaiting sentencing on fraud and conspiracy convictions, was arrested nearly two weeks ago in Dallas and accused of public intoxication, one of his lawyers said.

Skilling, 52, was arrested about 1:45 a.m. on Sept. 9 and was held briefly in a city jail, according to an article in Thursday’s Houston Chronicle.

Daniel Petrocelli, Skilling’s lead lawyer in the Enron case, confirmed the incident in an e-mail to Bloomberg News and said the news was being overplayed.

Petrocelli said he could not provide further details, such as Skilling’s blood alcohol level.

“Jeff was having dinner in a restaurant, had some drinks with dinner and then went for a walk,” Petrocelli said in the e-mail. Skilling is “doing the very best he can to deal with a nearly impossible situation.”

Skilling won’t be going to jail for violating terms of his $5-million bail, the newspaper reported.

He was assessed a $385 fine for the misdemeanor offense and reported his arrest to court officials the next day, the newspaper said.

Skilling was convicted in May on 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading related to Enron’s collapse. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23.