Judge rejects early release of Lea Fastow

HOUSTON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A Houston federal judge Wednesday refused to grant an early prison release to Lea Fastow, the wife of a former Enron Corp. executive.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner said he could find no legal grounds to release Fastow, who has served seven months of a one-year sentence, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Fastow, the wife of ex-Enron chief financial officer Andrew Fastow, pleaded guilty to not reporting personal income from an Enron side deal on her 2000 tax return. She was once an assistant Enron treasurer.

Mike DeGeurin, Lea Fastow's attorney, argued her sentence was twice what people normally serve for a misdemeanor tax crime. He also said she was serving the sentence in a harsher environment, a maximum-security detention center.

Andrew Fastow pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges in the Enron case. He is cooperating with prosecutors and will serve his sentence after other Enron trials are completed.