Hmmmmmm wonder if anthony dressed Hitlery in this lovely outfit..
Posted on 02/05/2006 1:30:40 PM PST by SmithL
LOS ANGELES - Hollywood loves a good scandal - cheating spouses, sex tapes, drug addictions.
The industry's obsessive rumor mill has churned over the past few months in anticipation of the outcome of a three-year FBI investigation into suspected illegal wiretapping by celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano.
Answers could finally be revealed Monday when the 61-year-old shamus is expected to be arraigned on unspecified federal charges.
"Everybody wonders who is going to take the fall," said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School and a former federal prosecutor.
"He's like (Jack) Abramoff. You just hope you didn't get your picture taken with him," Levenson said, referring to the lobbyist who recently pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.
Pellicano has worked for a galaxy of Hollywood stars, such as Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Sylvester Stallone. High-profile lawyers and agents also have enlisted Pellicano's services.
But prosecutors haven't disclosed if any famous names might be tied to the investigation or have testified before a grand jury.
Pellicano was released Friday from a federal prison in Taft after completing a 2 1/2-year sentence for possessing illegal weapons, prison spokeswoman Pam Jones said. He was transferred to San Bernardino County Jail, which is sometimes used by the federal government to house its detainees, said Jimell Griffin, an inspector for the U.S. Marshals Service.
Griffin said Pellicano was booked on charges "that are under seal," but he wouldn't elaborate.
Both the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI declined to comment on whether an indictment has been filed.
The investigation has led to some arrests. Last month, a former Beverly Hills police officer pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and four counts of unauthorized access of protected computers to commit fraud.
Sandra Carradine, 58, the ex-wife of actor Keith Carradine, pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury.
Both are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
Robert Pfeifer, former president of Hollywood Records, also has been arrested in connection with the case, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. Although charges against the 50-year-old music industry executive weren't revealed, his estranged wife said in court documents that Pfeifer had known for two years that he was part of the probe into Pellicano's activities, the newspaper said.
A call left for Pfeifer's attorney was not immediately returned Sunday.
Others have said they have been contacted by federal authorities about the wiretapping investigation.
Comedian Gary Shandling told The New York Times in 2003 that the FBI notified him about the possibility of his phones being wiretapped.
Prominent entertainment lawyer Bert Fields, who often hired Pellicano as an investigator, has said he was questioned by federal agents. The attorney has denied any wrongdoing.
"Everyone who hired this guy is a logical target for an investigation," said Lon Sobel, a professor at Southwestern University School of Law and editor of Entertainment Law Reporter, a monthly trade publication. "It's a hell of an embarrassing situation to be in."
Attorney Victor Sherman, who helped represent Pellicano in his federal explosives case, believes authorities have tried to string out the investigation and said his former client has been upset and concerned by the prospects of an indictment.
"They're playing games," Sherman said. "They are trying to make it as painful on him as possible."
Before he went into prison, Pellicano said he wouldn't cooperate in the wiretapping probe and would protect the confidentiality of his clients.
Pellicano has made his career living in the limelight. He first gained acclaim in 1977 after locating the remains of Taylor's third husband after they were stolen from an Illinois cemetery.
He also helped auto maker John DeLorean win acquittal on cocaine trafficking charges in the early 1980s and was hired by Jackson to refute child molestation claims in 1993. Jackson ended up settling out of court with the accuser's family for a reported $15 million to $20 million.
Pellicano's troubles began in 2002 when prosecutors claim he hired Alexander Proctor to threaten Anita Busch, then a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, who was working on a story about actor Steven Seagal and possible links to the Mafia.
Proctor allegedly went to Busch's home, placed a dead fish with a rose in its mouth on the windshield of her car and made a bullet-sized hole in her windshield. He also placed a sign with the word "stop" on the windshield, court documents show.
The FBI later raided Pellicano's office, found illegal explosives and seized documents and computers.
Pellicano and Proctor each face one count of making criminal threats and one count of conspiracy but neither have yet entered a plea. Proctor is serving a 10-year prison term in Illinois on unrelated drug charges.
An indictment also may bring further legal reverberations.
"The big issue would be if there was illegally obtained evidence," Levenson said. "It could lead to motions for new trials on cases that have been resolved. This case could cause a major disruption."
Some people also believe an indictment will curtail Hollywood's shady dealings.
"We're talking about celebrities hiring top-gun lawyers to gain privileged information. That's not fair game," said publicist Michael Sands, who suspected Pellicano of tapping his phones in 1990.
Levenson agreed that an indictment could have serious implications in the entertainment industry.
"It has the potential of being a healthy deterrent on how Hollywood people treat each other," she said. "You can't illegally investigate your enemy. Even in Hollywood you have to play by the rules."
They are very careful not to mention two of his most prominent clients--the Clintons.
LOL.
Comedian Gary Shandling told The New York Times in 2003 that the FBI notified him about the possibility of his phones being wiretapped.
Gary Shandling's phones may have been tapped when he was locked in a bitter lawsuit with his former manager, Brad Grey.
Whatever happened to Brad Grey?
Oh, yeah, he was made chairman and CEO of Paramount last year.
As Web Hubbell said, I have got to roll over again.
Hmmmmmm wonder if anthony dressed Hitlery in this lovely outfit..
free dixie,sw
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