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Anthony Pellicano

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Anthony J. Pellicano (born March 22, 1944) is a high-profile Los Angeles private investigator and convicted criminal known as a Hollywood fixer.[1] He served a term of thirty months in a federal prison for illegal possession of explosives, firearms, and a grenade. In 2008, he began serving an additional sentence for subsequent convictions for other crimes, including racketeering and wiretapping. Several other people were also convicted of crimes associated with their involvement with his illegal activities, including his actress girlfriend Sandra Will Carradine (ex-wife of Keith Carradine), film director John McTiernan, Beverly Hills police officer Craig Stevens, Los Angeles police sergeant Mark Arneson, and attorney Terry Christensen.

Early life and career

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Pellicano was born and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. After serving in the military, he moved to Los Angeles. Pellicano gained recognition for his work on a John DeLorean case defense.

Pellicano became a private investigator[2] who was often utilized over the years by Hollywood celebrities, for a large retainer, because of his reputation as a fixer who was adept at solving their problems.[3] His clients included several prominent people including Chris Rock, Courtney Love, Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner, Michael Ovitz, and numerous others.[4][5]

In 1992, Pellicano was hired by Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign to discredit Gennifer Flowers who claimed she had an affair with Clinton.[6] He would later be hired to investigate Monica Lewinsky who also had an affair with Bill Clinton.[7][6][8] In 1993, he was hired by Michael Jackson to investigate the family who accused Jackson of child molestation. However, he would later drop Jackson as a client saying "I quit because I found out some truths…He did something far worse to young boys than molest them".[9][10] Jackson reportedly paid Pellicano a $2 million fee and a Mercedes for his work.[11]

In 2006, Lisa Bonder sued her attorneys acting for Bonder alleging they were working for a businessman Kirk Kerkorian. She accused Kerkorian's attorneys of retaining Pellicano to wiretap Bonder's phone during the divorce proceedings of Bonder and Kerkorian that involved a paternity dispute.[12]

In 2002, he was hired by billionaire Steve Bing to investigate his former girlfriend and actress Elizabeth Hurley in connection with her pregnancy. However, Bing denied that Pellicano was working for him.[13][14] It would later be reported that Pellicano was investigating Bing, who was a friend of Kerkorian. He took a strand of Bing's used dental floss and used it to prove that Bing was the father of Bonder's daughter. Between June 2000 and August 2002, Bing paid Pellicano $335,000.[15] Between April and May 2002, Pellicano may have bragged to the attorney of Kirk Kerkorian that Bing had retained his services about Bing being the father of another child with Elizabeth Hurley. However, Bing, through his attorney Martin Singer, later denied this, as did Pellicano.[16] Attorney Terry Christensen was convicted of racketeering for hiring Pellicano to tap Bonder's phone and received a three-year prison sentence.[17]

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An investigation into Pellicano began after journalist and former The Hollywood Reporter editor Anita Busch found that her car had been vandalized in 2002. The windshield was broken and a dead fish and rose were left on the car along with a sign that said "Stop".[18]

On November 21, 2002, FBI agents raided the offices of Pellicano. A threat had been made against film producer Julius R. Nasso, who was suing Steven Seagal. The FBI was looking for evidence that Pellicano was involved in making the threat against Nasso. The FBI agents found two practice grenades which were modified to function as homemade bombs and military-grade C-4 plastic explosives.[19] Pellicano pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of dangerous materials. His sentence was thirty months in federal prison. His date of release was to be February 4, 2006. On February 3, Pellicano was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown Los Angeles to face new charges.[citation needed]

On February 4, 2006, Pellicano was formally arrested on additional charges. On February 6, 2006, in United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, Pellicano was indicted on 110 counts. His alleged crimes included racketeering, conspiracy, wiretapping, witness tampering, identity theft and destruction of evidence. Specifically, Pellicano was charged with receiving unlawfully accessed confidential records on celebrities and public figures from members of the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments. For example, prosecutors alleged that Pellicano tapped the phones of Sylvester Stallone[20] and Keith Carradine and accessed the confidential police records of Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon.[21] On February 15, 2006, the indictment was amended to include further charges of wiretapping and extortion.[22] Pellicano was denied bail. In June 2006 the Los Angeles Times reported that Pellicano performed an illegal background check on a law enforcement official who was investigating a fake passport scheme involving Pellicano's client, Christophe Rocancourt.[23]

The jury trial of Pellicano was to commence on February 27, 2008. The trial was delayed three times, due to a lengthy discovery process and retaining of defense counsel.[24]

On May 15, 2008, he and four others (Mark Arneson, Ray Turner, Kevin Kachikian, and Abner Nicherie) were found guilty of various charges involving wiretapping, racketeering, wire fraud, and computer fraud. Pellicano had represented himself in the trial, and had not testified in his own defense. Abner Nicherie's conviction was later overturned on appeal.[citation needed]

In August 2008, Pellicano was convicted of wiretapping and conspiracy to commit wiretapping in the Federal District Court in Los Angeles.[25] In December 2008, the court denied Pellicano's request for concurrent sentencing. Federal judge Dale S. Fischer sentenced him, and added 15 years to Pellicano's prison sentence, and fined him $2,000,000.[26]

On August 29, 2008, Pellicano was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wiretapping. Specifically, Pellicano had recorded phone conversations of Kirk Kerkorian's ex-wife, Lisa Kerkorian, in an effort to disprove her claims that Kerkorian was the father of her daughter. Sentencing was scheduled for November 2008 then deferred to December 15, 2008.[27] Pellicano was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the majority of his convictions, overturning only two for aiding and abetting computer fraud and unauthorized computer access. The most serious convictions, for running a criminal enterprise, remain intact.[28]

Pellicano was incarcerated at FCI Big Spring in Texas[29][30] and later at Terminal Island in California.

On August 7, 2011, Pellicano gave his first interview to Newsweek magazine.[31] On July 5, 2012, Pellicano's bail hearing was postponed due to poor health.[32] The following day Tom Cruise was accused of conspiring with Pellicano to create a wiretap during Cruise's divorce from Nicole Kidman.[33]

He was released on March 22, 2019.[34] In 2022, his probation ended, and he works as a self-described "negotiator" for people such as Daryl Katz and Joel Silver, mostly involving corporate disputes with the "occasional" #MeToo case.[35]

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On January 11, 2006, Pellicano's girlfriend Sandra Will Carradine (the ex-wife of Keith Carradine, who had hired Pellicano in preparation for her divorce, leading to his wiretapping of Keith Carradine's phone line) and veteran Beverly Hills police officer Craig Stevens pleaded guilty to lying about Pellicano's crimes.[36]

Los Angeles police sergeant Mark Arneson and phone company technician Rayford Turner were convicted of racketeering for their roles in helping Pellicano. Pellicano bribed Arneson to obtain access to law enforcement databases and paid Turner for technical information about how to set up wiretaps. Pellicano, Arneson, and Turner were ordered to repay more than $2 million obtained from the racketeering.[17] Software developer Kevin Kachikian was convicted of creating software used to record phone conversations.[17]

In 2007, Israeli businessman and previously convicted swindler Daniel Nicherie was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to hiring Pellicano to wiretap another Hollywood businessman.[37] As of late 2006, Nicherie was the seventh person to plead guilty in relation to the Pellicano investigation and the fifth to confirm Pellicano's involvement in wiretapping.[38] Daniel Nicherie's brother Abner Nicherie was initially convicted for aiding and abetting wiretapping of the phone of the husband of a woman whose business he wanted to take over, but his conviction was vacated in 2015.[17]

Robert Joseph Pfeifer, at the time an executive at Hollywood Records, was a friend of Pellicano. Pfeifer was arrested on February 3, 2006, and charged with unlawful wiretapping and conspiracy. Pfeifer's then-girlfriend, Erin Finn, assisted the FBI lead agent Stanley Ornellas in the investigation of Pfeifer and Pellicano.[39]

On April 3, 2006, film director John McTiernan was charged with lying to the FBI about his relationship with Pellicano. On April 17, 2006, McTiernan pleaded guilty to the charge. On September 24, 2007, he was sentenced to four months in prison. The sentence was later increased to twelve months, and ultimately he was incarcerated in federal prison from April 2013 to February 2014. [citation needed]

Dennis Wasser represented Tom Cruise in his divorce proceedings against Nicole Kidman. Wasser retained Pellicano. Tapes of telephone conversations from 2001, made shortly after the announcement of the divorce, were found in Pellicano's offices in 2002. Wasser was not charged but was made a person of interest.[40][41]

Bert Fields was the subject of a federal grand jury investigation into illegal wiretapping, but was not charged with committing a crime. The Los Angeles Times reported, "Prosecutors are using the grand jury to investigate allegations involving Anthony Pellicano, a private investigator who worked for Fields and other entertainment industry figures. Investigators have told several of those they have questioned that they believe Pellicano wiretapped them. They are seeking to determine whether people who hired Pellicano may have authorized the surveillance or been aware of it." Fields regularly hired Pellicano, but he denied any knowledge of Pellicano's crimes. "I've been told that I am a subject, not a target, of the investigation," Fields said. "But I have never in any case had anything to do with illegal wiretapping. I don't do that."[42]

On May 28, 2004, Anita Busch, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, commenced a civil action against Pellicano, alleging harassment, including a death threat made in 2002:

In 2002 Anita Busch discovered a dead fish with a red rose in its mouth and a sign reading "Stop" on the cracked windshield of her car. At the time she was writing about Steven Seagal and Mike Ovitz, both clients of Pellicano. The trail eventually led to his office where FBI agents discovered plastic explosives, grenades, pistols and about $200,000 in cash in Pellicano's safe. He pleaded guilty to weapons charges and went to prison.[43]

Pellicano threatened financier Ron Burkle with extortion of $100,000 to $250,000 to avoid investigation by Michael Ovitz, another of his clients.[15]

In July 2006, The New York Times reporter and lawyer Allison Weiner unsuccessfully attempted to interview Pellicano in jail by misrepresenting herself as his attorney.[44]

During the night of November 27, 1997, a five-month-old girl disappeared from the home of her parents, Steven and Marlene Aisenberg. In 1999, Pellicano was an FBI wiretap consultant in the investigation of the Aisenbergs, who were charged with making false statements to police. In 2001, the charges were dismissed after county detectives lied about obtaining warrants to wiretap and lied about the content of the wiretap recordings.[45] [failed verification]

Pellicano once represented the Chicago mobster Anthony "the Ant" Spilotro, charged with monitoring the Las Vegas casino and skimming for the Chicago mob. Pellicano served a subpoena and gave a warning from Spilotro to Gustave Reininger, co-creator of the NBC television drama Crime Story.[46][47][48][49][50][51][52]

Pellicano had been in a relationship with actress Linda Fiorentino, described by Pellicano's attorney as "pen-pals",[53] prior to going to prison. In 2006, when he was charged with new crimes just prior to his release from prison, Fiorentino started dating Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Mark Rossini. She told Rossini that she was doing research for a screenplay based on Pellicano's case,[54] and Rossini helped her out by illegally accessing FBI computers to get her information on the case.[54] In reality, Fiorentino wanted to assist Pellicano, and handed the files over to Pellicano's lawyers.[55] Rossini, in addition to resigning from the FBI after 17 years as a special agent, pled guilty in 2009 and received a sentence of 12 months probation and a $5,000 fine.[55]

References

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  1. ^ Miller, James Andrew (February 14, 2018). "The Anthony Pellicano Prison Interview: Hollywood's Notorious Fixer on His Victims, Enablers and a Coming Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Anthony J. Pellicano PI license file at California BSIS. Viewed May 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Walker, Tim (July 14, 2013). "The real-life Ray Donovans: Fixers behind Tinseltown's dark secrets". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022.
  4. ^ Williams, Trey (March 22, 2019). "Anthony Pellicano, Longtime Hollywood Fixer, Released From Prison After 15 Years". TheWrap. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  5. ^ "Hollywood Hacker Anthony Pellicano Gives Jailhouse Interview". ABC News. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Glaister, Dan (April 19, 2006). "The Pellicano Files". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  7. ^ Caldwell, Christopher (February 16, 1998). "SAY IT WITH FLOWERS - Washington Examiner". Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  8. ^ Kellogg, Jane (August 7, 2011). "Anthony Pellicano Makes Shocking Charges About Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jackson". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Gustini, Ray (August 8, 2011). "Anthony Pellicano Talks Murdoch, Michael Jackson, and Mafia". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Harris, Elizabeth A. (March 22, 2019). "Anthony Pellicano, Notorious Detective to the Stars, Walks Free From Prison". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Connolly, Bryan Burrough and John (January 2, 2008). "Talk of the Town". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  12. ^ "Lawyer files suit over alleged wiretapping". Los Angeles Times. August 10, 2006.[dead link‍]
  13. ^ Masters, Kim (June 30, 2020). "Behind Steve Bing's Sudden, Tragic End". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Finke, Nikki (April 12, 2007). "Pellicano Update: Steve Bing/Liz Hurley Baby Scandal Is Hot Legal Issue Again". Deadline. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Halbfinger D. M. "Billionaire reports a shakedown in Hollywood". The New York Times April 20, 2006. Accessed April 12, 2007.
  16. ^ Halbfinger D. M. "Hollywood evidence raises questions". The New York Times. April 12, 2007.
  17. ^ a b c d Johnson, Ted (August 25, 2015). "Anthony Pellicano Faces Re-Sentencing After Court Overturns Convictions". Variety. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  18. ^ Belloni, Matthew (June 20, 2012). "Pellicano Victim Anita Busch Breaks Silence to Oppose Bail Request, Reveal New Questions in Wiretap Case". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  19. ^ Lasden, M. "The Pellicano effect" (PDF). California Lawyer. Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  20. ^ Shprintz, J. (November 18, 2003). "Stallone is queried in sleuth case". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2006.
  21. ^ Abramowitz, Rachel; Welkos, Robert (February 26, 2006). "Anthony Pellicano and his tangled web". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  22. ^ "Private eye indicted". news.yahoo.com. Associated Press. February 6, 2006.[dead link‍]
  23. ^ "Two Hollywood scandals connect". UPI.com. United Press International. June 7, 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  24. ^ "Pellicano's wiretap trial pushed to August". Variety. Associated Press. November 20, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  25. ^ Barnes, Brooks (August 29, 2008). "Pellicano and a lawyer convicted in wiretapping". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  26. ^ Barnes, Brooks (December 15, 2008). "15 years for Hollywood investigator". The New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  27. ^ "Investigator to the stars convicted". The New York Times. May 16, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  28. ^ Dolan, Maura (August 25, 2015). "Anthony Pellicano, former celebrity private eye, loses bulk of his appeal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "Anthony Pellicano to Newsweek: Those News of the World Guys Were Amateurs". Reuters. August 7, 2011.
  30. ^ Siegemund-Broka, Austin; Gardner, Eriq (August 25, 2015). "Anthony Pellicano's Prison Sentence Vacated by Appeals Court". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  31. ^ Pelisek, C. (August 7, 2011). "Anthony Pellicano: the Hollywood phone hacker breaks his silence". Newsweek. Archived from the original on July 27, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  32. ^ "Anthony Pellicano bail hearing postponed". Hollywood Reporter. July 5, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  33. ^ Howard D. (July 6, 2012). "Tom Cruise accused of wiretap conspiracy with convicted criminal Anthony Pellicano during Nicole Kidman divorce". Celebuzz.com. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  34. ^ Maddaus, Gene (March 22, 2019). "Hollywood Fixer Anthony Pellicano Released From Federal Prison". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  35. ^ "Anthony Pellicano Working for Billionaire Daryl Katz to Squash Sex Lawsuit". August 25, 2022.
  36. ^ Blum H. and Connolly J.""The Pellicano brief"" (PDF). Archived from the original on February 9, 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Vanity Fair March 2004 page 222. Accessed December 18, 2013.
  37. ^ Shprintz, Janet; McClintock, Pamela (September 24, 2007). "John McTiernan sentenced to prison: 'Die Hard' director lied to FBI about Pellicano". Variety. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  38. ^ Finke, Nikki (December 12, 2006). "Co-Defendant Cops Guilty Plea In Pellicano Scandal; Big Victory For Feds". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  39. ^ Krikorian, Greg (February 5, 2006). "Music figure held in Pellicano case". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  40. ^ [1] The Statesman Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  41. ^ "FBI quiz Kidman in wiretap probe". Digital spy. Archived July 29, 2012, at archive.today
  42. ^ Weinstein, Henry; Philips, Chuck; Krikorian, Greg (November 12, 2003). "Celebrity lawyer fields is subject of wiretap probe". Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  43. ^ Cruz, G. (December 14, 2008). "Anthony Pellicano". Time. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008.
  44. ^ Philips, Chuck. "Jail Bars Reporter Who Was Let In to Speak With Pellicano". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  45. ^ 358 F3d 1327 United States v. B Aisenberg Open Jurist organisation website. December 21, 2010.
  46. ^ Halbfinger D. M. and Weiner A. H. "Court files, Hollywood's Mr. fix-it at work." The New York Times. May 21, 2007.
  47. ^ Auletta K. "Hollywood Ending." The New Yorker, July 24, 2006.
  48. ^ Burrough B. and Connolly J. "Inside Hollywood's big wiretap scandal". Vanity Fair June 2006. Archived May 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  49. ^ Halbfinger D. M. Hollywood detective accused of ordering 'hit' on witness". The New York Times May 10, 2006. Accessed February 12, 2013.
  50. ^ Welkos R. W. "Lawyer to celebrities is subject of inquiry". Los Angeles Times February 7, 2006. Archived May 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  51. ^ Krikorian G. and Blankstein A. "Pellicano and six others are indicted". Los Angeles Times February 6, 2006. Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  52. ^ Blum H. and Connolly J.""The Pellicano brief."" (PDF). Archived from the original on February 9, 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Vanity Fair March 2004. Accessed February 12, 2013.
  53. ^ Times, Scott Glover Scott Glover is a former investigative reporter for the Los Angeles (December 5, 2008). "Pellicano case linked to FBI agent". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  54. ^ a b Stein, Jeff (January 14, 2015). "The Inside Information That Could Have Stopped 9/11". Newsweek. New York, New York.
  55. ^ a b Wilber, Del Quentin (May 15, 2009). "Ex-FBI Agent Mark Rossini Sentenced for Using Bureau Computers in Pellicano Case". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.
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