Jeffery Skilling came awfully close to going to prison before his scheduled sentencing on October 23.
The former Enron chief executive officer was arrested by Houston police early in the morning of September 9 for public intoxication, according to the Houston Chronicle.However, the paper said he will not be going to prison for violating his $5 million bail agreement.
Skilling, convicted in May on 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading, and lying to auditors, faces 20 to 30 years in prison.
Citing a police document, the Chronicle reported that Skilling was not drinking or driving under the influence when he was arrested and that he did not resist arrest. According to the report, Skilling had drinks with dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then went for a walk. In Houston, public intoxication is a Class C misdemeanor, subject to a fine of up to $500, but no prison time. He was given a $385 ticket and was held briefly in a city jail, according to the paper.
This is not Skilling’s first alcohol-related incident. In April 2004, he got into a dispute with individuals at a New York City bar after drinking for several hours. The Chronicle noted that he was not arrested, but his wife was hurt. The couple were taken to a hospital, where a blood test revealed that Skilling’s blood-alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit for operating a vehicle in many states. However, Skilling was not driving that night.