Court orders ex-Enron CEO Skilling to jail

HOUSTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) A US appeals court ordered ex-Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling to begin serving a 24-year prison sentence immediately, according to court documents.

On Monday, the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals said Skilling could remain free while it considered granting him bail as he appealed his convictions.

The court denied Skilling's request for bail late yesterday.

Skilling's attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, was not immediately for comment.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Web site, Skilling was headed to a federal prison in Minnesota yesterday.

Skilling, 53, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in hiding Enron's financial condition from investors as the company's fortunes eroded prior to its 2001 collapse.

In May, a Houston jury convicted Skilling of defrauding investors. Skilling maintains he committed no crime and plans to appeal. Skilling's sentence is the longest handed out to former Enron executives.

The low-security prison in Waseca, Minnesota, is about 75 miles south of Minneapolis.

Low-security prisons are designated for nonviolent offenders and often resemble school dormitories. The facilities typically do not have barbed wire or guard towers.

REUTERS DKS PM0622