Private Eye Pellicano Convicted
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Anthony Pellicano, the self-anointed “private eye to the stars,” was convicted Thursday on 76 charges of racketeering and conspiracy for wiretapping the rivals of his Hollywood clients, Reuters reported.
He has yet to be sentenced, but it is widely assumed that he will spend the rest of his life in prison.
The 64-year-old Pellicano, who acted as his own lawyer, was charged with wiretapping telephones and bribing police and telephone company officials to run illegal checks on citizens. The trial included testimony from actors and studio executives — including Garry Shandling, Chris Rock, and the chairman of Paramount Pictures, Brad Grey — who said they hired Pellicano, or were victimized by him, during disputes over such matters as unfaithful spouses and business contracts.
Prosecutors alleged it was Pellicano who, in June 2002, left a dead fish with a rose in its mouth and a note saying, “Stop,” on the shattered windshield of a car belonging to a Los Angeles Times reporter.
