Former private investigator, who once worked for celebrities, Anthony Pellicano, was convicted Friday of federal wiretapping and conspiracy charges in a case involving prominent investor Kirk Kerkorian’s ex-wife.

"This case uncovered corruption by the wealthy and influential," FBI Assistant Director Salvador Hernandez told the Associated Press," and today’s guilty verdicts render assurance that the justice system cannot be bought by those with money and power."

After a one day of deliberations, a federal jury found both Pellicano, who was once one of the most appreciated private investigators in Hollywood, known for his expertise in solving difficult cases and helping his clients in their civil lawsuits and even criminal charges, and his co-defendant, lawyer Terry Christensen, guilty of conspiracy to commit wiretapping.

"We will be fighting this to the end," said Patricia Glaser, Christensen's attorney and law partner. "We think the jury got it wrong. We are going to be appealing on a myriad of issues." She declined to specify which issues, but added, "believe me, there are a ton."
 
Christensen, who was Kirk Kerkorian's attorney in his bitter child support battle in 2002, was accused of paying Pellicano $25,000 and promised $100,000 more, to eavesdrop on the phone conversations of Lisa Bonder Kerkorian as she was demanding $320,000 in monthly child support for her then-4-year-old daughter. By going over the limits with listening to her phone conversations, they were aiming to prove that the MGM mogul was not the father of his former wife's daughter. DNA tests showed movie producer Steve Bing was the biological father.

"Mr. Christensen's use of Anthony Pellicano to illegally wiretap his adversary in order to gain a strategic advantage in litigation was a stain on the entire legal community," said assistant U.S. attorneys Daniel A. Saunders and Kevin Lally in a statement Friday. "We are grateful to the jury for helping to eradicate that stain today."

The United States attorney for Los Angeles, Thomas P. O’Brien, issued his own statement, calling Christensen’s behavior "reprehensible."

During the six-week trial, prosecutors called to the stand attorneys who represented Bonder Kerkorian in the child support matter, who testified that the information Pellicano was telling Christensen was from privileged attorney-client conversations that took place over the phone. However, the prosecutors didn't have any of the alleged wiretapped calls of Bonder Kerkorian, nor transcripts or summaries of those calls.

Christensen, who is free on a $100,000 bail, and Pellicano, face up to 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines, when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer. They will be sentenced on November 17. Pellicano, 64, is currently behind bars, where he is awaiting sentencing for his previous convictions.

In a separate case earlier this year, Pellicano was found 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.