Lay Is Expected to Be Indicted Next Week

Former Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth L. Lay is expected to be indicted next week over his role in the scandal that rocked corporate America, sources familiar with the matter said.

Although a last-minute delay was still possible, federal authorities involved with the Justice Department’s Enron Task Force expect that a federal grand jury next week will return an indictment of Lay, the sources said. The sources would not discuss what charges might be brought against Lay.

Lay’s lawyer, Michael Ramsey, said the government lacked the evidence to win an indictment from a grand jury.