Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Private Investigator used insiders to reveal sensitive information
By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA The Associated Press
Celebrity private eye Anthony Pellicano was charged Monday with wiretapping such stars as Sylvester Stallone and Keith Carradine and bribing a police officer for dirt on Hollywood figures.
Pellicano, 61, pleaded not guilty to racketeering, interception of electronic communications and other offenses. He was charged along with a Los Angeles police officer and a telephone company employee in an indictment unsealed Monday.
"These charges allege a disturbing pattern of criminal conduct in which money flowed freely to encourage sworn law enforcement officers to violate their oath to uphold the law," acting U.S. Attorney George Cardona said.
The indictment said the information gathered was used for threats, blackmail and in some cases to secure "tactical advantage in litigation." Prosecutors would not elaborate. In some cases, Pellicano was hired by clients to collect the material, according to the indictment.
Mark Arneson, a veteran police sergeant, is said to have received at least $189,000 from Pellicano to search law enforcement databases for "confidential, embarrassing or incriminating" information. More than 60 people were run through police databases, including comedians Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon, the indictment states.
According to the indictment, Rayford Earl Turner, an employee of SBC and Pacific Bell at the time, received at least $36,655 from Pellicano "for the purpose of obtaining proprietary telephone company information and facilitating illegal wiretaps." Turner retired in 2001.
Celebrity private eye Anthony Pellicano was charged Monday with wiretapping such stars as Sylvester Stallone and Keith Carradine and bribing a police officer for dirt on Hollywood figures.
Pellicano, 61, pleaded not guilty to racketeering, interception of electronic communications and other offenses. He was charged along with a Los Angeles police officer and a telephone company employee in an indictment unsealed Monday.
"These charges allege a disturbing pattern of criminal conduct in which money flowed freely to encourage sworn law enforcement officers to violate their oath to uphold the law," acting U.S. Attorney George Cardona said.
The indictment said the information gathered was used for threats, blackmail and in some cases to secure "tactical advantage in litigation." Prosecutors would not elaborate. In some cases, Pellicano was hired by clients to collect the material, according to the indictment.
Mark Arneson, a veteran police sergeant, is said to have received at least $189,000 from Pellicano to search law enforcement databases for "confidential, embarrassing or incriminating" information. More than 60 people were run through police databases, including comedians Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon, the indictment states.
According to the indictment, Rayford Earl Turner, an employee of SBC and Pacific Bell at the time, received at least $36,655 from Pellicano "for the purpose of obtaining proprietary telephone company information and facilitating illegal wiretaps." Turner retired in 2001.
# posted by raveneye @ 6:30 PM 
