Anthony Pellicano

Guide Note

Anthony Pellicano was a Los Angeles based private investigator notable for his high-profile and celebrity clients. He was arrested on charges of illegal wiretapping and racketeering on February 4, 2006. The Trial of Anthony Pellicano began in early March of 2008.

On May 16, 2008 Pellicano was convicted on racketeering, wiretapping and other charges. He faces up to 24 years in prison on just the racketeering charge alone. Sentencing is scheduled for September 24, 2008.

Fast Facts

1. Born: March 22, 1944
2. Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
3. Convicted of possession of illegal weapons and dangerous materials in 2002
4. Served a four year sentence, but was then held on wiretapping charges
5. Allegedly played clients against each other
6. Allegedly organized illegal wiretapping and death threats against reporter Anita Busch
7. In 2006, reporter Allison Weiner used Pellicano's California Bar Association membership to unethically gain access to Anthony Pellicano in prison, against the warden's orders
8. Pellicano was once employed by Chicago mob boss Anthony "the Ant" Spilotro

Pellicano was a private investigator for many of Hollywood's biggest celebrities. His former associate, Paul Barresi, alleges that Pellicano would buy tabloid reporters stories and offer to pay them off if they would, in return, not leak the story to the media.

On February 4, 2006 he was arrested on charges of illegal wiretapping and racketeering. He was charged with 110 counts of racketeering and conspiracy, wiretapping, witness tampering, identity theft and destruction of evidence. The indictment was amended on February 15, 2006 and two more charges of wiretapping and extortion were added. He was convicted on May 16, 2008]].

In 2002, FBI agents raided Pellicano's office and found two practice grenades turned in to home made bombs and a military grade C-F explosives which had enough power to take down a passenger plane. The bombs were found while officers were searing for evidence that he was involved with threatening a Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch, who was investigating his then client, Steven Seagal.

Pellicano was arrested in 2002 and plead guilty to possessing dangerous materials. He was sentenced to thirty months in prison. Pellicano was set to be released on February 4, 2006, but the was transferred to a Los Angeles jail due to the latest indictment.

The case against Pellicano implicates the police departments of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, suggesting that they supplied Pellicano with unlawfully obtained confidential records on several celebrities. Allegedly, Pellicano conducted illegal wiretaps on Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Nealon, Garry Shandling, among others.