Prosecutors seek dismissal of Aubrey McClendon indictment
Prosecutors moved swiftly to drop charges against former Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon after he was killed in a fiery car accident.
The U.S. Justice Department asked a judge Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to dismiss the charges.
McClendon on Monday was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly conspiring to rig bids for oil and natural gas leases. He quickly denied the charges.
Dismissal "would best meet the ends of justice in that the defendant is now deceased," Kalina M. Tulley, assistant chief of the Chicago Office of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, said in a court filing.
McClendon died Wednesday morning when his 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe crossed the center line of a Oklahoma City roadway and slammed directly into a highway overpass at a high speed. His vehicle was engulfed in flames, and witnesses described a horrifying scene in calls to 911 dispatchers.
Oklahoma City police said their investigation into the accident would take one to two weeks.
McClendon played a critical role in growing U.S. shale oil and gas production and was also part-owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team.
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