Celebrity Private Eye Pellicano Found Guilty

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A federal jury found former Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano guilty of racketering after he paid cops tens of thousands of dollars for information on people he investigated and had their phones wiretapped, listening to phone calls with actors such as Sylvester Stalone.

An L.A. federal jury found Pellicano guilty of 76 counts, on charges of racketeering, mail fraud, wiretapping, and identity theft. The jury also found two of Pellicano's co-defendants guilty of racketeering: Mark Arneson, a retired L.A. police officer, and Rayford Turner, a former telecommunications field technician, the U.S. Attorney's office announced.

In addition to awaiting sentencing, the three men may have to give the government more than $2 million that they made through the conspiracy.

Pellicano had additional help from co-conspirators. Two co-defendants were also found guilty today: Kevin Kachikian created the software program that allowed the wiretapping, and Abner Nicherie helped Pellicano set up one wiretap.

The last two co-conspirators plead guilty during earlier proceedings: Craig Stevens, a police officer who gave up confidential DMV information and criminal histories on Pellicano's subjects, and phone company employee Teresa Wright, who helped Pellicano set up the wiretaps.

US District Judge Dale Fischer will sentence Pellicano, Arneson, Turner, Kachikian and Nicherie on September 24.

Pellicano and attorney Terry Christensen will go to trial on July 15 over pending conspiracy and wiretapping charges.

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