Early release sought for Lea Fastow

HOUSTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A Houston judge has been asked to grant the early release of the wife of former Enron Corp. executive Andrew Fastow.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner may decide next week whether to release Lea Fastow, who has served seven months of her one-year sentence, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Mike DeGeurin, Fastow's attorney, argued in a motion her sentence is twice what people normally serve for a misdemeanor tax crime and she has served her time in harsher conditions than most tax offenders.

Fastow has served her sentence in the Federal Detention Center in downtown Houston, an 11-story maximum-security facility that normally holds people awaiting trial.

The lead Enron prosecutor recommended Fastow be sentenced to five months in prison and five months home detention, but Hittner imposed a tougher sentence.

Fastow pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of willfully filing a joint 2000 income tax form she knew was partially fraudulent.

Fastow's husband, Enron's former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges. He is cooperating with prosecutors and is not expected to begin serving his sentence until the Enron trials are completed.