Former WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers could be facing life behind bars.

Ebbers, 63, will be 88 when released from prison after he was sentenced to 25 years for orchestrating the largest corporate accounting fraud in U.S. history. The $11 billion scandal plunged WorldCom into bankruptcy and wiped out the holdings of investors, employees and retirees.

The one-time billionaire has been stripped of most of his assets in an effort to reimburse WorldCom investors.

Ebbers is expected to begin serving his sentence in a Mississippi prison in mid-October. He continues to work on an appeal of his conviction after having a request for a new trial denied.

Ebbers was found guilty in March on all counts of conspiracy and fraud charges. He is the first of several former WorldCom executives to be sentenced. Those awaiting sentencing include former WorldCom CFO Scott Sullivan, who pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors.

Sullivan's testimony helped convince the jury of Ebbers' culpability.

WorldCom, which now operates under the name MCI, filed for bankruptcy in the summer of 2002 and emerged from bankruptcy in April 2004.  With tens of thousands of business and government agency customers around the world, MCI is being acquired by Verizon for $8.5 billion after spurning several higher offers from Qwest.