Former Enron Corp. CFO Andrew S. Fastow was charged Monday in Houston federal court with 31 more criminal charges, including insider trading, filing false tax forms and for conspiracy to falsify the books and records of the bankrupt energy merchant.

Fastow, 41, remains free on $5 million bond after pleading not guilty last fall to 78 counts of fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice (see Daily GPI, Oct. 3, 2002). He was not expected to be in court Monday to face the new charges, according to a courthouse spokeswoman.

The expanded indictment, unsealed by a Houston grand jury on May 1, included a superseding indictment against Fastow, and added two defendants to Fastow’s case: Ben Glisan Jr., a former Enron treasurer, and Dan Boyle, former finance executive (see Daily GPI, May 2 ). Glisan, who worked directly under the CFO, earned $1 million over a few months on a $5,800 investment in an Enron partnership Fastow put together. Boyle is accused of being involved in a sham 1999 deal to sell Nigerian barges so that Enron could appear to reach earnings targets. Both Glisan and Boyle have pleaded not guilty and are free on bond.

A separate indictment also unsealed May 1 charged several other former executives, including Fastow’s wife, Lea Fastow, who was charged with six counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and filing false tax returns. The former Enron assistant treasurer also pleaded not guilty. Her lawyers have asserted that Lea Fastow has been charged to force her husband to provide more information on other top executives.

To date, 19 former Enron employees have been charged in the wide-ranging federal investigation. However, no civil or criminal indictments against former CEO Jeffrey Skilling or former Chairman Kenneth Lay have been filed by the government. Both Skilling and Lay have repeatedly stated they knew nothing of any illegal or improper activities.

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