samanthajane13
12-16-2008, 11:35 AM
Tue Dec 16, 5:41 am ET
LOS ANGELES – Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano once boasted he could bend the law to help his rich and famous clients get out of trouble.
On Monday, a federal judge said the 64-year-old private eye went too far and broke it, sentencing him to 15 years in prison for heading a criminal enterprise that wiretapped the phones of such stars as Sylvester Stallone.
U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer said Pellicano engaged in "reprehensible behavior," ruining the lives of many of his clients' adversaries by digging up dirt on them to use in legal and other disputes.
"He did this eagerly, sometimes maliciously and with extreme pride," the judge said.
Pellicano showed no emotion when the sentence was read. "I have taken full and complete responsibility for all my actions," he said.
The private eye was convicted of a combined 78 counts, including wiretapping, racketeering and wire fraud, in two separate trials earlier this year.
Prosecutors said Pellicano also bribed police officers to run the names of comedians such as Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon through law enforcement databases to gain information. By doing so, Pellicano and his associates created a mistrust by the public of law enforcement agencies, Fischer said.
Prosecutors previously recommended in court documents that Pellicano serve nearly 16 years in prison for running a criminal enterprise and for becoming a "high-priced thief who fraudulently obtained prominence through the harm that he wantonly inflicted on others."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Saunders said outside court that he thought the sentence was appropriate.
Pellicano must serve 85 percent of his sentence, making him eligible for release when he is about to turn 77, the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Steve Gruel said he plans to appeal his client's conviction. He also noted authorities tried to get Pellicano to cooperate three years ago with the investigation and now are taking it out on him by recommending a hefty prison sentence.
"Three years ago they wanted him to provide the sizzle, and he didn't and he won't," Gruel said.
In all, 14 people have been charged in the case. Seven, including film director John McTiernan and former Hollywood Records President Robert Pfeifer, have pleaded guilty to charges including perjury and conspiracy.
Authorities investigated Pellicano's activities for three years. An indictment was unsealed in February 2006, just days after he completed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for possessing illegal weapons.
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 and could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Authorities were led to Pellicano after former Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch found a dead fish with a rose in its mouth on her car along with a sign reading "stop" in June 2002.
The discovery came after she wrote a series of unflattering articles about one-time superagent Michael Ovitz, a Pellicano client.
Major industry players with links to Pellicano, such as Ovitz, Paramount studio head Brad Grey and entertainment attorney Bert Fields, weren't charged in the case and maintained they didn't know about Pellicano's tactics.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081216/ap_on_en_ot/hollywood_wiretaps
LOS ANGELES – Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano once boasted he could bend the law to help his rich and famous clients get out of trouble.
On Monday, a federal judge said the 64-year-old private eye went too far and broke it, sentencing him to 15 years in prison for heading a criminal enterprise that wiretapped the phones of such stars as Sylvester Stallone.
U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer said Pellicano engaged in "reprehensible behavior," ruining the lives of many of his clients' adversaries by digging up dirt on them to use in legal and other disputes.
"He did this eagerly, sometimes maliciously and with extreme pride," the judge said.
Pellicano showed no emotion when the sentence was read. "I have taken full and complete responsibility for all my actions," he said.
The private eye was convicted of a combined 78 counts, including wiretapping, racketeering and wire fraud, in two separate trials earlier this year.
Prosecutors said Pellicano also bribed police officers to run the names of comedians such as Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon through law enforcement databases to gain information. By doing so, Pellicano and his associates created a mistrust by the public of law enforcement agencies, Fischer said.
Prosecutors previously recommended in court documents that Pellicano serve nearly 16 years in prison for running a criminal enterprise and for becoming a "high-priced thief who fraudulently obtained prominence through the harm that he wantonly inflicted on others."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Saunders said outside court that he thought the sentence was appropriate.
Pellicano must serve 85 percent of his sentence, making him eligible for release when he is about to turn 77, the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Steve Gruel said he plans to appeal his client's conviction. He also noted authorities tried to get Pellicano to cooperate three years ago with the investigation and now are taking it out on him by recommending a hefty prison sentence.
"Three years ago they wanted him to provide the sizzle, and he didn't and he won't," Gruel said.
In all, 14 people have been charged in the case. Seven, including film director John McTiernan and former Hollywood Records President Robert Pfeifer, have pleaded guilty to charges including perjury and conspiracy.
Authorities investigated Pellicano's activities for three years. An indictment was unsealed in February 2006, just days after he completed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for possessing illegal weapons.
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 and could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Authorities were led to Pellicano after former Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch found a dead fish with a rose in its mouth on her car along with a sign reading "stop" in June 2002.
The discovery came after she wrote a series of unflattering articles about one-time superagent Michael Ovitz, a Pellicano client.
Major industry players with links to Pellicano, such as Ovitz, Paramount studio head Brad Grey and entertainment attorney Bert Fields, weren't charged in the case and maintained they didn't know about Pellicano's tactics.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081216/ap_on_en_ot/hollywood_wiretaps