Hollywood private eye on trial for mass wiretapping

CA - Anthony Pellicano, the former investigator known as Hollywood's private eye to the stars, goes on trial Thursday in a case of wiretapping and skulduggery that is expected to reveal the dark side of the glitzy world of the movie industry.

Actors Sylvester Stallone, Keith Carradine and Farrah Fawcett, along with movie studio executives Brad Grey and Ron Meyer and former powerhouse talent agent Michael Ovitz, are among the 120 prosecution witnesses called to testify in a case that has kept Hollywood on tenterhooks for almost six years.

Pellicano, 63, is accused of illegally wiretapping the telephones of opponents of his powerful clients and of bribing police officers and telephone company workers to run illegal background checks on the targets of his investigation.

Pellicano is representing himself at his trial and has pleaded not guilty, along with his four co-defendants, to the 111 federal charges they face together. The trial in Los Angeles federal court is expected to last up to 10 weeks. (more)

Pellicano Wiretapping Case

The case is scheduled to resume March 5th. The Huffington Post claims they have the Witness List: "Chris Rock, Stallone, Bert Fields, Tom Cruise and hundreds more." The list of 244 people, however, has made the rounds and wound up here. Rambo says he is willing to testify, "Why not? I don't want to be left out." Stallone said he wasn't surprised to hear the allegations that such activity occurs in Hollywood. "In this town, nothing seems as it is," Stallone said. "There's so much skullduggery." (more)

The continuing saga of Anthony Pellicano...

CA - Lawyers for defendants in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case argued in federal court here on Monday that evidence seized from the Hollywood private detective’s offices had been improperly obtained and should be tossed out.

Facing a trial date of Feb. 27, lawyers for Mr. Pellicano and his five co-defendants attacked the search warrants used to raid the detective’s offices in November 2002 and to unearth a trove of digital audio recordings in the ensuing months. They also argued that the case should be dismissed because of what they assert was rampant misconduct by government investigators.

But United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer appeared to be having none of it. (more)

...and then John McClane told me to say..."

"Lie Die Hard" director John McTiernan was granted bail and released on a $50,000 bond Monday, pending an appeal of his guilty plea for allegedly lying to the FBI about his knowledge of celebrity PI Anthony Pellicano's alleged illegal wiretapping operation.

Tiernan, 56, pleaded guilty in April 2006 to making a false statement to federal investigators. He later recanted his guilty plea, claiming he was jet-lagged and under the influence of alcohol and prescription medications when he made the statements to the FBI.

He also said he was given bad advice by his then-attorney. (more)

...and you thought O.J. was bugged.

O.J. Simpson apparently doesn't have enough to worry about with two co-defendants in his Vegas robbery case ready to testify against him. Now a private eye who worked for Simpson is alleging that the disgraced gridiron star once hired notorious Hollywood P.I. Anthony Pellicano to bug and harass Nicole Brown Simpson.

Bill Pavelic, the lead investigator for Simpson's defense team during his criminal trial for the murders of Nicole and Ron Goldman, says: "I know for a fact that Nicole Brown Simpson was a victim of stalking and that her cars and residence had been wiretapped."

Pavelic, a 19-year veteran of the LAPD, believes Simpson hired Pellicano to do eavesdropping based, in part, on similarities to the bugging devices he says Pellicano planted at Michael Jackson 's Neverland Ranch.

Pellicano is currently in prison for illegal wiretapping.

"Cops knew about Pellicano's wiretapping of Nicole," alleges Pavelic, who will tell more in his book, "Guilty of Incompetence." "Had Nicole not been murdered, his wiretapping would have been exposed long ago." (more)

Hollywood Movie Director Sentenced To Jail

CA - Film director John McTiernan has been sentenced to four months in prison on charges relating to the FBI and a private investigator. McTiernan is best known for films such as “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “Die Hard” and “The Hunt for Red October.” McTiernan hired private investigator Anthony Pellicano to wiretap producer Charles Roven. (more)

Madonna... U.N. Plugged

"Gonna save two weeks, Gonna have a fine vacation.
Gonna take my problem to the U-nited Nations."
Summertime Blues ~Eddie Cochran

from the press release... "A human rights abuse complaint has been submitted to the United Nations in the legal case Aisha v. Madonna (case no. 06-1389). A copy of the United Nations complaint is available online at www.aishamusic.com/un.htm

The complaint alleges conduct reminiscent of the unlawful tactics employed by now incarcerated private investigator, Anthony Pellicano, who has done work on behalf of singer Madonna and her attorney Bert Fields.

The case was submitted recently under the following alleged human rights violations, pursuant to Rule 86 of the United Nations Rules of Procedure."

COMPLAINT RE: Illegal hidden camera placed in my home, illegal telephone wiretapping, illegal listening devices placed on the inside and outside of my property, theft of over $250,000, theft of my $450,000 home, theft of my multi-billion dollar valued Copyrighted Catalog, customized death threats sent to my web site, choking assault incident, separately an attempted vehicular assault on August 9, 2007 and my mother’s (redacted online until investigation completes), in attempts to spitefully bankrupt us. (more)

Read, and decide for yourself. As Chuck Berry used to sing... "Too much monkey business for me to be involved in."

OK, now the wheels are starting to fall off.

CA - A federal wiretapping trial involving private investigator Anthony Pellicano and five co-defendants was postponed to Feb. 27.

Prosecutors contend in a 111-count criminal indictment handed down in February 2006 that Pellicano illegally wiretapped the phones of Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone and bribed police officers to run the names of more than 60 people, including comedians Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon, through government databases.

The information gathered was used to get dirt for threats, blackmail and in some cases to secure a tactical advantage in litigation, prosecutors alleged.

Pellicano, 63, has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal prison awaiting trial. (more)

Pellicano lawyers act to shift case's focus

LA - Defense attorneys for Anthony Pellicano have asked prosecutors for documents they say will show that authorities first investigated the Hollywood private eye for allegedly audiotaping an FBI agent.

The government has said the long-running probe stemmed from a threat against a Los Angeles Times reporter investigating organized crime in Hollywood. But months before the threat, agents went to the sleuth's office to search for a recording of law enforcement personnel, according to a federal subpoena.

The defense requests signal an effort to shift the focus of the case from celebrity wiretapping to claims of government misconduct. (more)

Surprise Twist in Hollywood Wiretapping Case

Anthony Pellicano Set To Remarry Former Wife...
Ceremony will be held in courtroom where he is being tried for wiretapping. (more)

"OK, show of hands, who wasn't tapped?"

Judge Limits Defendants In Civil Wiretapping Suits
Ruling Breaks Logjam In Case Against Private Eye Who Spied On Stars

LOS ANGELES - A judge has moved to break a legal logjam in the Hollywood wiretapping case by ruling that no new defendants can be added to the 13 civil lawsuits already filed against private eye Anthony Pellicano and others. ...

Prosecutors contend in a 111-count criminal indictment that Pellicano illegally wiretapped the phones of Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone and bribed police officers to run the names of more than 60 people, including comedians Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon, through government databases. (more)

Pellicano Splash Landing

CA - Initially dubbed one of Hollywood's biggest scandals, the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping affair is landing with a thud.

A Feb. 15 Los Angeles Times story declared that prosecutors had filed "the latest and perhaps final federal indictment" in the case. But no one new was charged; the indictment merely adds more details of Pellicano's alleged wiretapping, including how he conspired with attorney Terry Christensen to tap the ex-wife of Kirk Kerkorian. (more)

The Tap Dance Continues

CA - Days after persuading a judge to let him represent himself at trial, indicted private investigator Anthony Pellicano is again poised to use private lawyers in his defense against federal charges of racketeering and wiretapping. (more)

And... there are rumors that in addition to re-hiring the attorney's, he is re-marrying his wife! (more)

Hollywood private investigator wiretap trial (update)

Tossing a legal hand grenade into an already-contentious case, celebrity sleuth Anthony Pellicano on Friday demanded and won the right to act as his own lawyer in his upcoming trial on wiretapping and racketeering charges.

U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer tried to talk Pellicano out of his plan, but he would not relent. "I urge you to let me appoint counsel for you," Fischer implored in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. "You're very kind, your honor, but no, thank you," Pellicano said. (more)

Hollywood private investigator seeks to represent self at trial

CA - Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano is expected to ask a Los Angeles federal judge tomorrow for permission to represent himself in his upcoming wiretapping trial.

Pellicano has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and wiretapping charges.

Prosecutors contend that Pellicano illegally wiretapped the phones of Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone and bribed police officers to run the names of more than 60 people through government databases. (more)