Celebrity Detective Sees Prison Rather than Fame

A detective who spent his life seeing stars may instead spend the rest of his life seeing bars, the prison kind.

Anthony Pellicano, an investigator known to solve cases involving famous individuals, was convicted on Thursday in a Los Angeles court on racketeering charges that included him using wiretapping and bribery to uncover information that would assist his regulars in lawsuits, divorces, business disputes, and criminal charges.

Pellicano pleaded not guilty to the 77 charges against him, but the court convicted him on all but one: unauthorized computer access. The courts found him guilty of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, wiretapping, wire fraud, identity theft, conspiracy to intercept or use wire communications and manufacture or possession of a wiretapping device, according to the Associated Press.

Pellicano, 64, was regarded as one of the best investigators in Hollywood; what made him stand out from his peers was his willingness to employ wiretapping, bribery and threats. These methods would eventually prove to be his undoing.

Celebrities who spoke at Pellicano's trial were unfamiliar with his methods: comedians Garry Shandling and Chris Rock were unaware of the means that he used.

Prior to this conviction, Pellicano served time in 2003 for pleading guilty to illegal weapons possession. He was released in 2006 and then convicted on wiretapping charges.

Dale Fischer, U.S. District Court Judge, is expected to sentence Pellicano on September 24; until then, he is expected to remain in custody.