Pellicano co-defendant pleads responsible to felonies

The federal investigation of Anthony Pellicano took a shocking change Tuesday when one of his co-defendants pleaded responsible to making use of the former non-public eye to wiretap a Beverly Hills businessman 6 yrs in the past.

In an visual appeal ahead of U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer, Daniel Nicherie also pleaded responsible to a few other felony counts of defrauding the Beverly Hills businessman and Other folks by means of pension fraud, wire fraud and funds laundering.

Nicherie, forty six, could be the fifth particular person to plead guilty to acquiring Pellicano wiretap his consumers’ courtroom adversaries or enterprise rivals. In addition, a previous Beverly Hills police officer has admitted he illegally accessed govt computer systems for Pellicano, and a onetime SBC personnel has pleaded responsible to aiding Pellicano by turning over confidential cellular phone firm documents.

It was not promptly distinct what influence Nicherie’s plea may have on the continuing Pellicano investigation as the U.S. authorities’s allegations about Nicherie’s actions would Plainly make him a troubling witness for the prosecution.

Nevertheless, as the newest defendant to confess to wiretapping charges, Nicherie could give authorities with A further example of how Pellicano illegally spied on Other individuals.

“If you start incorporating up the volume of Individuals who have pleaded responsible to wiretapping, and Then you certainly listen to ... Pellicano denying that he wiretapped persons, you have to inquire oneself how believable he is,” mentioned one particular federal legislation enforcement supply, who spoke on issue of anonymity as a result of ongoing probe.

Early this yr, authorities unsealed a federal grand jury indictment that alleged Nicherie, his brother, Abner, and Other folks hired -- or worked with -- Pellicano to wiretap others.

Even though Pellicano and several co-defendants are alleged to have illegally long gone immediately after a lot of famous people or organization executives, the sweeping one hundred ten-count indictment names the Nicheries in just one rely: wiretapping businessman Ami Shafrir in late 2000.

At the time, authorities have alleged, Nicherie was posing as a legal professional and financial investment banker so as to defraud Shafrir and his ex-wife out of some $forty million in income, real estate and enterprises. The fraud, As outlined by an April 2004 indictment, concerned an elaborate plan through which Nicherie took Charge of Shafrir’s organizations, drained their belongings and place the companies into bankruptcy.

In that very same indictment, Nicherie was accused of also defrauding Gil and Ezra Mileikowsky of Los Angeles away from $275,000 by persuading them to invest in a very bogus enterprise undertaking.

The fraud involving Shafrir looms as an In particular considerable party since at least one among Pellicano’s alleged wiretaps intercepted a dialogue among Shafrir and an FBI agent who was wanting into the issue, documents and interviews display.

The alleged intercept transpired in excess of a year just before federal agents raided Pellicano’s workplaces in 2002 in reference to a botched make an effort to intimidate a L. a. Occasions reporter.

Right up until Tuesday, Nicherie experienced steadfastly preserved that he was harmless of the fees in The 2 federal conditions against him. Like Pellicano, he had been held in federal custody with out bond due to the fact authorities had persuaded the decide that he was way too good a flight possibility.

Just after pleading responsible in the situation, Nicherie was taken with the courtroom and remained in custody. His lawyer to the sentencing stage declined to comment, as did prosecutors in the ongoing Pellicano circumstance.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Jason Gonzalez, who prosecuted the fraud circumstance and offered the plea arrangement in court, said: “It’s safe to convey everyone seems to be pleased it's been solved.”

Meanwhile, the Beverly Hills businessman qualified by Nicherie known as the guilty plea “An important action in Ami Shafrir direction of justice.

“I am delighted to view him acknowledge obligation, And that i commend the [prosecutor] for his position in this process,” Shafrir reported in an announcement. “Sadly, this is just the tip with the iceberg which has nonetheless to reveal the underbelly of the corruption involving Pellicano, cell phone organization employees, selected law enforcement officers and departments who collectively participated in fleecing me away from millions of bucks.”

Pellicano and 5 Other individuals, including a former L. a. Law enforcement Division detective and A further former SBC personnel, have pleaded not responsible in the case, that's scheduled for demo subsequent summertime.

Nicherie is scheduled to be sentenced in March and faces a greatest jail time period of 35 many years, While federal sentencing guidelines advocate a lesser penalty.

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