Ex-Enron employees cheer jury's guilty verdicts

HOUSTON, May 25 (Reuters) Former Enron Corp employees who lost their jobs when the company collapsed into bankruptcy cheered a Houston jury today after it found their former bosses, Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, guilty of fraud and conspiracy.

''I'm happy; justice has been served,'' said Mario Brunasso, who worked developing international power plant projects at Enron from 1996 until its failure in 2001.

''A lot of people will be celebrating in Houston today,''added Brunasso, now a consultant living in California.

Lay, 64, was convicted on all six counts of conspiracy and fraud. Skilling, 52, was convicted on 19 counts of conspiracy, fraud and insider trading. He was found not guilty on nine other insider trading charges. Both face decades in prison.

Ex-Enron employees were planning a gathering at a Houston restaurant Thursday evening, said Bob Moss, a 23-year Enron veteran who spoke with other former workers after the verdict.

''People think it was appropriate,'' said Moss.

''I'm thankful the Justice Department pulled it off,'' said Chris Jones, 35, a former Enron employee from 1999 to 2001, who gathered with dozens of curious Houstonians outside the federal courthouse after the guilty verdict was read. ''I was glad to see it.'' Jones said he had planned to work at Enron for many years.

''I thought it was as solid as Exxon, but it was as shaky as any IT company start-up.'' ''I felt good about the outcome,'' said Danielle Marcinkowski, another former information technology employee who watched the announcement with other former Enron workers. ''So many people took such a beating, it's good that this sends out a nice warning,'' said Marcinowski, who now works in Connecticut.

''It was fair and legitimate,'' said Houstonian Angie Eubanks, who worked in the accounting department at Enron's oil trading unit from 1999 to 2001.

''I didn't think they could be found not guilty,'' said Eubanks, who recently graduated from law school. ''Too many people were affected by'' the company's failure, losing jobs, savings and pensions, she said.

A Houston investor who lost money when Enron collapsed was also pleased.

''Three cheers for the jury,'' said Don Chandler as he stood across the street from the courthouse. ''It's a good day for justice. I lost ,000 as an investor, but that's nothing compared to what employees lost. I've recovered. Some of them never will.'' REUTERS DH RN0348