Disgraced Former Enron Boss Jeffrey Skilling May Get Out Of Prison Early

Jeffrey Skilling, the former chief executive who was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his part in the collapse of energy trading company Enron, may be getting out of jail early.

The U.S. Department of Justice says it has notified victims of the Enron fraud that it is currently in negotiations with Skillings and his attorneys for a reduction in his sentence.

It is unclear how much of a sentence reduction he is seeking.

Skilling, 59, who has always maintained his innocence, has been seeking a new trial. In 2006, he was convicted of 19 counts of conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors.

Enron went bankrupt in December 2001.

Under the current terms of his sentence, Skilling is scheduled to be released in February 2028. He has so far served a little more than six years of his sentence.