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U.S. NEWS Thursday 19 december 2019

Ailing former WorldCom CEO ordered freed from prison

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Verizon Communications
Associated Press bought MCI.
NEW YORK (AP) — A former The judge said she had re-
top executive sentenced ceived letters from some
to 25 years in prison in one who never recovered from
of the largest corporate huge financial losses to say
accounting scandals in U.S. he should be left to die in
history was ordered freed prison.
from prison Wednesday for But other letters were writ-
medical reasons. ten in support.
U.S. District Judge Valerie Ebbers was convicted in
E. Caproni ordered the re- New York in 2005 on securi-
lease of former WorldCom ties fraud and other charg-
chief Bernard Ebbers after es and received a 25-year
hearing lawyers discuss his sentence. He has been im-
medical problems. Ebbers prisoned since September
was not in court and his 2006.
lawyers said he was hospi- Attorney Graham Carner
talized Wednesday. told the judge that Ebbers'
Several family members health had gone into such
for Ebbers who attended steep decline that it was
the proceeding rejoiced, possible he might not live
sobbing and hugging one another 18 months. Among
another, when the judge other problems, he suffers
announced her ruling. She In this Jan. 30, 2006, file photo former Worldcom CEO Bernard Ebbers exits Manhattan federal heart disease, he said.
said she'll issue a written rul- court in New York. "The situation for Mr. Ebbers
ing explaining her reasons Associated Press is dire," he said.
at a later time. He said Ebbers was trans-
"I'll get to hold his hand," lems for the 78-year-old had invested through re- WorldCom emerged from ferred Wednesday to a pri-
one woman called out. Ebbers and said his weight tirement plans. bankruptcy in 2004 and vate hospital from the Fed-
Another threw her arms had dropped from above The collapse followed rev- rebranded itself MCI, the eral Medical Center in Ft.
into the air as the judge 200 pounds to 147 pounds elations of an $11 billion name of a telecommunica- Worth, Texas, facility where
stepped down from the last week. accounting fraud that in- tions company WorldCom he has been housed.
bench. The Mississippi-based World- cluded pressure by top ex- bought years earlier. During He said a colonoscopy
Caproni said it fell within Com collapsed and went ecutives on subordinates bankruptcy, the company scheduled for earlier this
her discretion to order the into bankruptcy in 2002, to inflate numbers to make moved its headquarters week was postponed be-
early release after a lawyer causing losses to stockhold- the company seem more from Clinton, Mississippi, to cause Ebbers was not med-
cited severe medical prob- ers, including people who profitable. Ashburn, Virginia. In 2006, ically fit for it.q

Agency fines company $26K for fatal

Dallas crane collapse

DALLAS (AP) — A federal doesn't explain the cause five other people. At the
agency imposed a nearly of the collapse. Another time, wind gusts up to 71
$26,000 fine against the nearby crane wasn't af- mph (114 kph) shattered
owner of a crane that fected by the June 9 wind windows of high-rise build-
crashed through an apart- storm that the company ings and tore trees apart,
ment building near down- blames for the damage. particularly in Dallas and
town Dallas, killing one Bigge Crane and Rig- its northern suburbs.
resident and displacing ging Co. owns the crane "I think really the only way
In this June 9, 2019, file photo, officials respond to the scene hundreds. that fell onto the five-story (the cause is) ever going
after a crane collapsed into Elan City Lights apartments amid The citation issued by the Elan City Lights apartment to get sorted out is prob-
severe thunderstorms in Dallas. Occupational Safety and building, killing a 29-year- ably through the lawsuits,"
Associated Press Health Administration old woman and injuring Smith said.q