Who is Anthony Pellicano? Michael Jackson private investigator who has just been released from prison
Jacko's investigator was in prison for 15 years
MICHAEL Jackson’s personal private investigator has been released from prison after serving 15 years for a string of crimes – but who is he?
We explain what his crimes are and when he worked for the King of Pop.
Who is Anthony Pellicano?
Anthony Pellicano was born on March 22, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois.
He is known as a former high-profile private investigator to Hollywood stars – including Michael Jackson.
Pellicano called himself the “sin eater” and earned a reputation at being able to solve celebrity’s problems.
He has also reportedly worked for Steven Spielberg, Kevin Costner, Farrah Fawcett, Chris Rock and Courtney Love.
And in 2011, Pellicano boasted of covering up the misdemeanours of action star and ex-governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, saying: “If they found that stuff, he never would have become Governor.”
Pellicano was romantically involved with American actress Sandra Will Carradine after gathering evidence to help in her divorce case with actor Keith Carradine.
In 2006 Sandra pleaded guilty to perjury for saying that she did not know the investigator used illegal wiretaps on her ex-husband's phone.
What crimes did he commit?
Pellicano was convicted for a string of crimes including possession of plastic explosives, wiretapping, racketeering, protection, intimidation, witness tampering and destroying evidence.
In 2008, he was found guilty after representing himself during the trial.
He was released on March 22, 2019.
When did Pellicano work for Jackson?
Pellicano worked for Jackson around the time Jordan Chandler accused the singer of molesting him.
He played a major part in Jackson’s 1993 negotiations with Chandler’s father Evan.
The then 13-year-old claimed Jacko groomed and molested him leading to the superstar performer’s arrest and "humiliating" strip search.
Jordy was able to draw distinctive marks on Jackson’s penis and buttocks – as the Thriller icon suffered from the skin condition vitiligo.
Police in California then strip searched and photographed Jacko's genitals.
The star, who denied all allegations of sex abuse, called it "the most humiliating ordeal of my life”.
But Pellicano talked Jordy's stepfather into recording conversations with Evan, who was heard saying there would be a "massacre... if I don't get what I want".
This formed the basis of Pellicano's claim the accusations were a part of an extortion plot and Jackson agreed a massive settlement with the Chandler family reported to be between $20m and $24m.
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What has Pellicano threatened to reveal about Jackson?
It is unclear when Pellicano stopped providing his services for the Billie Jean singer, but he revealed in 2008 why he did.
He warned in a Newsweek interview in 2008: "A lot of people are quaking that I'm going to disclose a lot of things when I get out.
"They'll just have to keep quaking won't they?"
In the same interview he said of Jackson: "I quit because I found out some truths... He did something far worse to young boys than molest them."
And in 2018 he told the Hollywood Reporter he was disgusted by truths "even darker" than the Chandler case.
He said: "I was offered $500,000 to tell the whole story by a tabloid and I declined."
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