Hollywood Private Eye Anthony Pellicano Found Guilty

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano has been found guilty of racketeering and conspiracy charges on Thursday after a high profile trial that featured a variety of celebrity names and witnesses.

At one time, Pellicano was one of the most famous Hollywood private eyes that assisted the police with various cases. He soon found himself the subject of an investigation when he was accused of trying to intimidate and threaten reporters who wrote unfavorable stories about his prominent clients.

Pellicano pleaded not guilty in March to running a criminal enterprise that wire tapped telephones and bribed police and telephone workers. Prosecutors on the case say that Pellicano was also trying to gain confidential information that he could use to bribe people in divorce, business and other cases he was involved with.

Numerous high profile celebrities such as Chris Rock, Garry Shandling and Sylvester Stallone were called to testify in the case against Pellicano.

Anita Bush, a writer with Hollywood Reporter, was apparently the subject of intense threats after publishing a series of articles about Michael Ovitz, the former Disney president, and was called to testify at the trial.

Pellicano could now serve a sentence of eight to ten years in federal prison.