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6 articles from 2008

16 April 2008 9:16 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

A U.S. federal judge has refused to dismiss the case of disgraced Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano - rejecting a defence motion asking the court to declare it a mistrial.

Pellicano is accused of wiretapping, racketeering and other crimes and is currently standing trial in California's Federal Court along with four other co-defendants.

The trial has been linked to a number of A-list stars including Tom Cruise, Steven Segal, Farrah Fawcett and Chris Rock - who testified in court earlier this month - all of whom allegedly employed Pellicano's services.

However, Judge Dale Fischer was called upon to declare a mistrial, after defence lawyers accused prosecutors of inappropriately questioning one of the accused - Mark Arneson - during his testimony.

The former Los Angeles police sergeant is accused of taking over $180,000 (GBP90,000) in bribes from Pellicano, to run names through criminal databases in a scheme to help the private eye amass evidence against his subjects.

And defence attorney Chad Hummel, who represents Arneson, claimed prosecutors improperly referred to statements made by his client during a Los Angeles Police Department (Lapd) internal affairs investigation in 1999.

But Judge Fischer rejected the motion on Tuesday, ruling that prosecuting lawyers didn't attempt to reveal to the jury that Arneson has been previously investigated by the department.

All five defendants have pleaded not guilty to a variety of charges.

The case continues.

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4 April 2008 12:05 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Latest: Comedian Chris Rock has admitted he hired shamed Los Angeles private investigator Anthony Pellicano to snoop on a woman who accused him of rape.

The funnyman testified in California's Federal court on Friday morning in Pellicano's ongoing wiretapping trial, where he was quizzed about his links to the private detective.

Rock paid Pellicano to look into the background of Monica Zsibrita, who had initially claimed the star had fathered her child. When Dna tests proved Rock was not the baby's daddy, Zsibrita changed her story and accused Rock of raping her at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1998.

Rock's conversation with Pellicano was leaked onto the internet last month in a 31-minute telephone recording.

On the taping, Pellicano can be heard telling Rock how he plans to help him fight the bogus rape charge.

An apparently stressed Rock tells the detective, "Once you're accused of rape, you're just f**ked, you know?"

Pellicano responds, "That's why I want to blacken this girl up, totally. I want to make her out to be a lying, scumbag, manipulative c**ksucker... stupid bitch."

Rock agrees, telling the detective, "I'm f**ked. I'm better getting caught with needles in my arm, way better, needles, with pictures. There's Chris Rock shooting heroin - much better blow to the career."

In his testimony on Friday, Rock denied knowing anything about Pellicano's tactics, and reiterated his innocence in the rape claims: "I'm here a free man, I didn't do anything wrong. You know I didn't do anything wrong."

Rock's testimony lasted just 15 minutes, according to Tmz.com. He is just one in a long list of celebrities to be linked to Pellicano. Other stars include Tom Cruise, Steven Seagal, Farrah Fawcett and Warren Beatty.

The trial continues.

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28 March 2008 11:26 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Madonna's former manager has testified he hired embattled Los Angeles private investigator Anthony Pellicano to snoop on his son-in-law.

Freddy DeMann briefly testified in court on Thursday in Pellicano's ongoing wiretapping trial and revealed he paid the private detective $135,000 (GBP67,500) to keep an eye on his daughter Pilar's then-husband.

DeMann suspected Paul Rusconi of cheating on his daughter and wanted proof of any infidelity.

The music mogul told the federal court Pellicano played him tapes of Rusconi talking to a number of different people, adding, "As far as I could tell, it was on the phone."

DeMann claims the tapes revealed Rusconi's "dalliances".

Pellicano is charged with wiretapping, racketeering and other crimes.

DeMann isn't the only big name linked to the complex trial - Tom Cruise, Chris Rock, Steven Seagal, Farrah Fawcett and Warren Beatty have all been linked to the case.

Comedian Rock recently told Rolling Stone magazine he hired Pellicano in an effort to find out who was funding Monica Zsibrita's paternity battle against him in 1998.

Rock said, "We kind of hired Pellicano to find out where the money was coming from. That was it."

Meanwhile, Cruise was linked to the private detective when it emerged in court earlier this month that he hired Pellicano in a bid to uncover the identity of people following him.

The trial continues.

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19 March 2008 9:08 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise has been dragged into the trial of a celebrity private investigator accused of illegal practice.

Anthony Pellicano and former Los Angeles cop Mark Arneson are charged with running an illegal wiretapping and information-gathering network.

Famous names Steven Seagal, Farrah Fawcett, Gary Shandling and Warren Beatty have already been linked with the case.

Now it has emerged Cruise once hired Pellicano - on the advice of his longtime lawyer Bert Fields - to find out the identity of people following him, according to court testimony.

The P.I.'s assistant Lily LeMasters claimed she overheard her boss and Arneson discussing Cruise's case, reports New York gossip column PageSix.com.

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8 January 2008 | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Action man Steven Seagal and his former business partner Julius R. Nasso have ended their bitter six-year legal battle, which at one point saw allegations of Mob extortion surface. Nasso filed a $60 million lawsuit against Seagal in 2002, accusing the actor of reneging on a deal to develop and produce four movie projects with him. Seagal maintained no such agreement was ever made. Now, in an out-of-court settlement to end the dispute, Seagal is expected to pay his former best friend Nasso $500,000, while the producer will drop his lawsuit. Nasso says, "I'm glad it's behind us. I wish him the best." In 2002, FBI agents arrested Nasso on suspicion of conspiring to extort Seagal. The producer was charged alongside 16 people with alleged ties to the Gambino crime family. In 2003, Nasso pleaded guilty to conspiring to extort Seagal and ended up serving one year in prison. He now hopes to secure a presidential pardon removing the offence from his record. As part of the pair's settlement, Seagal has agreed to write a letter supporting Nasso's application for a pardon.

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7 January 2008 5:59 PM, PST | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Action man Steven Seagal and his former business partner Julius R. Nasso have ended their bitter six-year legal battle, which at one point saw allegations of Mob extortion surface.

Nasso filed a $60 million (GBP30 million) lawsuit against Seagal in 2002, accusing the actor of reneging on a deal to develop and produce four movie projects with him. Seagal maintained no such agreement was ever made.

Now, in an out-of-court settlement to end the dispute, Seagal is expected to pay his former best friend Nasso $500,000 (GBP250,000), while the producer will drop his lawsuit.

Nasso says, "I'm glad it's behind us. I wish him the best."

In 2002, Fbi agents arrested Nasso on suspicion of conspiring to extort Seagal. The producer was charged alongside 16 people with alleged ties to the Gambino crime family.

In 2003, Nasso pleaded guilty to conspiring to extort Seagal and ended up serving one year in prison. He now hopes to secure a presidential pardon removing the offence from his record.

As part of the pair's settlement, Seagal has agreed to write a letter supporting Nasso's application for a pardon.

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6 articles from 2008