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Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 01:39:21 -0400
To: TSCM-L2006_at_googlegroups.com
From: "James M. Atkinson" <jm..._at_tscm.com>
Subject: Pellicano Burns at the Stake - Guilty on 76 Counts
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One down, 46,485 more to go.
-jma
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/15/hollywood.wiretaps.ap/index.html
Sleuth to the stars guilty of illegal dirt-digging
NEW: Hollywood sleuth found guilty of racketeering
Anthony Pellicano represented himself, says he acted alone
A-list private investigator is accused of illegal dirt-digging tactics
Trial featured testimony from celebrities, Hollywood players
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A Hollywood private investigator was
convicted Thursday of federal racketeering and other charges for
digging up dirt for his well-heeled clients to use in lawsuits,
divorces and contract disputes against the rich and famous.
Anthony Pellicano, 64, was accused of wiretapping stars such as
Sylvester Stallone, and running the names of others, such as Garry
Shandling and Kevin Nealon, through law enforcement databases to help
clients in legal and other disputes.
Pellicano was found guilty of all but one of the 77 counts against
him. He looked at the judge with his arms crossed and didn't react
when verdicts were read.
The jury found him guilty of racketeering and racketeering
conspiracy, along with wire fraud, identity theft, conspiracy to
intercept or use wire communications and manufacture or possession of
a wiretapping device. He was acquitted of a charge of unauthorized
computer access.
Co-defendants Mark Arneson, a former Los Angeles police sergeant, and
former telephone company worker Rayford Earl Turner were also
convicted of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy counts.
Other verdicts were still being read in court.
The indictment charging Pellicano and his supporting cast in February
2006 had Hollywood buzzing with speculation about who might be
ensnared in the investigation and what secrets might be revealed.
Fourteen people were charged and seven, including film director John
McTiernan and former Hollywood Records president Robert Pfeifer, have
pleaded guilty to charges including perjury and conspiracy.
But the biggest power brokers with links to Pellicano, such as famed
entertainment attorney Bert Fields, Paramount studio head Brad Grey
and one-time superagent Michael Ovitz, insisted they didn't know
about his methods and weren't charged.
Pellicano starred in the real-time court drama as a tough-talking
gumshoe who valued loyalty and secrecy as necessary virtues in his
profession. He also acted as his own attorney but called only one
witness and rarely raised objections.
The private eye decided against taking the witness stand to defend
himself and kept true to his promise that he wouldn't betray the
trust of his clients.
A number of dramas played out during the trial and cast a spotlight
on the seamy side of Hollywood, detailing death threats, offers of
murder and extramarital affairs.
Jurors watched as an uncomfortable Chris Rock testified about a model
he believed was trying to shake him down. They saw a confounded
Shandling study his name on a police records audit, and a stoic Ovitz
recount how he had hired Pellicano to find the source of negative
news stories about a company he was selling.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Saunders urged jurors not to get caught
up in the glitz and glamor of the case.
"This case is about corruption, about cheating, greed, arrogance and
the perversion of the justice system. It just happened to take place
in Hollywood," the prosecutor said.
During his closing argument, Pellicano insisted he shared no
information with colleagues as he conducted investigations and
allowed others to learn only what he wanted them to know.
"There was no criminal enterprise or conspiracy. Mr. Pellicano alone
is responsible. That is the simple truth," he told jurors, referring
to himself in the third person as court rules require for people who
act as their own attorney.
He did not elaborate on what he was responsible for.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors portrayed Pellicano as a
well-connected thug who ran a lucrative business by charging clients
a nonrefundable retainer fee that started at $25,000.
They played a number of profanity laced recordings between Pellicano
and his clients, including one with Rock, who hired the private eye
to investigate a model who demanded money after claiming she was
pregnant with his baby.
The actor-comedian said he hired Pellicano through his attorney and
did not know about his tactics.
In most of the tapes played in court, Pellicano reassures his clients
that he would make their problems go away but told them not to
divulge what he had disclosed.
Attorneys for Pellicano's co-defendants also pleaded ignorance and
tried to distance their clients from Pellicano, painting him as
ultra-secretive.
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