Posted on 02/03/2007 8:54:30 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Former Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano, who is awaiting a federal trial on wiretapping and racketeering charges, has been sued by executors for the estate of the late Herbalife International founder Mark Hughes.
The federal lawsuit claims that Pellicano wiretapped the executive on behalf of his former wife, Suzan Hughes, while the couple was going through a divorce.
The complaint alleges that Suzan Hughes used information from Pellicano's alleged wiretaps to negotiate a "highly advantageous" divorce settlement in march 1998.
Hughes, who built Herbalife into a billion-dollar nutritional supplement business, died in 2000 from a drug and alcohol overdose.
Besides Pellicano, the lawsuit named Rayford Earl Turner, a retired telephone company employee, as a defendant. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and thousands of dollars in civil fines.
Pellicano has been jailed without bail since his arrest in February and is awaiting an Aug. 22 trial date. He will be acting as his own lawyer in the trial.
Prosecutors contend in a 112-count indictment that the private investigator illegally wiretapped the phones of people such as Hughes and actor Sylvester Stallone and bribed police officers to run the names of more than 60 people through government databases.
The information gathered was used to get dirt for threats, blackmail and in some cases to secure a tactical advantage in litigation, prosecutors alleged in court documents.
Fourteen people have been charged in the case.
Where do the Grateful Dead come into this?
Where does HRC come into this?
Looks like Pellicano had to tidy things up a bit as well...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.