Day 3 with the Pelican and his gang! This was a tough morning as it was procedural — the government was presenting the evidence, and is there evidence! It was slow and dry, however this is a learning experience, and the place should be packed with P.I.s seeing what keeping “good records” will get you! Pellicano even asked the jurors yesterday if they hired a private investigator, would they want them to “bend the law”…oh come on, bend the law? More on that later in this story! It was tough on the jury too — one was asleep, and I swear had she a pillow I would have joined her! But things got much more interesting as the day wore on.
There was a comment early on if the term “special” agent was a promotional thing; it was explained that they are all “special!” Hmm, the retired FBI agents I have the misfortune of having to deal with are special alright, special BIG JERKS! It was also attempted by Mr. Chad Himmel who was warned by Judge Fischer to cool it with the “what Special Agent was also a P.I.,” hmmm. Stan Ornellas, a retired FBI agent is overweight with a barrel chest and little legs, but I bet in his day he was a powerful guy. I watched him today taking pills, they could have been vitamins or maybe something for the pain in his little knees, holding all that weight must be tough, or maybe for his “gut,” many cops have problems with their stomachs and I have to say he does not look like a picture of health. I wish him nothing but sunny days. This was the ‘special agent” who was being accused of misconduct, a common tactic for defense attorneys. I don’t care what he had done or is accused doing, standing next to Pellicano, Arneson, Taylor and Kachickian and Abner he is standing ten feet above them!
The Feds had Special Agent Elizabeth Rios fly in from Virginia to testify. She was present when the raid on the offices of Pellicano was conducted. However, she was so helpful that she could have just as well sent her empty suit. She remembered little or nothing and it was almost humorous to watch this “Special Agent” sit there and recall nothing for the most part. Her testimony just added to the pain of this procedure. Pellicano was questioning her and was becoming more feeble right before my eyes. Remember, funny boy is acting as his own lawyer, and it would appear that the court is giving him a great deal of room to screw himself! What he must have felt like when the prosecution told the court that, “he himself was their best witness”…Ouch!
As they were showing pieces of evidence compliments of “police sources,” I saw one piece that had “Anita Marie Busch” written on it. It could have been her DMV record, it was hard to make out. But there was her private info for the world to see…this poor woman who was terrorized and who in the end would bring this guy down. She will be well-compensated and that will ease the pain I am sure….it was a terrible thing and I can remember telling her that she should sue the phone company and the L.A.P.D. At the time she said no, that she just wanted to be left alone, but it was not too long after she had retained some third string law firm to go after the phone company and the police department. At one point Ms.
Busch thought that I was involved too. I have no idea where that came from, but it certainly wasn’t true. You know if I had been paid for all the things people have accused me of over the years, I would have that new white Phantom in my driveway!
Here’s another funny Pellicanoism: he “gathered information”…sure did, 24 hours a day, at least five wire taps going in the “war room.” Yup, he had a “war room!” Tarita Virtue, Anthony’s personal assistant was given IMMUNITY, she worked for Pellicano from 2000 to 2002 when she got into a verbal fight with her boss. She describes it as a terrible place to work, everyone was being screamed at and Anthony would rage around the place. And he said, “if you don’t like it, fucking leave!” She did, and damn if that Connie Francis song does not come to mind to me, “Who’s Sorry Now?”
Ms. Virtue has IMMUNITY and she was very sweet, cute (dangerously cute)…you know the kind guys love — sultry and slight of build, lean, cat-like — this is the kind of girl many pay for the rest of their lives, it is called support! All in black and “perky!” She sat there and identified the whole gang, Tony P, Da Sarge, and “The Phoneman.” And she was very likeable…hell, the only people who looked like they had just seen a ghost were the “gang.” Pellicano had that look on his face as if to say, “this cannot be happening!” He was getting paler and looked as if he had chewed a “habanero,” You go Tone!
Mr. Lally and and his partner — the two federal prosecutors — must be itching to “high five” each other after this witness! Oh, Ms. Virtue went on to say how Anthony allowed her to go and listen to the wire taps and that they were in the “War Room” and going 24 hours a day and it was overwhelming for her do to all of the recordings. She said the “taps” collected 100’s of phone calls and could collect thousands if left alone. She told the jury about Sgt. Mark Arneson who would come three times a week and in uniform. And that they would hide him if a client came in so that they would not see him. Hey, what is that all about, his lawyer said that he and Pellicano were like Batman and Robin! You know he would come by and get information on drug dealers, prostitutes, and all kinds of things and run to his police car with his “squad” and protect the city of Los Angeles. Ms. Virtue paints a sooo different picture…oh, he came by alright, for big envelopes with Ben Franklins in them, and she said that he would bring “gifts” to “mother.” You know, printouts and such…and what the hell is this “hide the cop” thing? I have cops over to my house and office all the time and we have never tried hiding them. This could be a new reality show, “Hide the Cop.” This is great, she said that Arneson would send or bring DMV photos of some of Pellicano’s victims and then the staff at the “misery palace” would take them into the “lab” and change the color of the background so that if found they would not look like they came from the DMV! Why you ask? Because it is against the law to do that! You can’t have access to DMV photos except for police business! Well, maybe that is OK as “Da Sarge” it would appear had a great business! The good sarge had to know that all of what he was doing was not a lapse of judgement but an ongoing business! The crime fighter? Did not know that you cannot take DMV license photos and “give” them to his crime fighter partner (or was that partner in crime?)!!!!???? Money, Money, Money, show me the Money!
The little personal assistant Tarita tells all of us that the doors all had locks with punch codes, and it was told to her by the Great One that this procedure would not allow the F.B.I. to enter those rooms in the event of a RAID! LMAO…I guess that worked! We all need to go to the locksmith and get those Special Anti-FBI locks! And not to be undone by the DMV photos, when the Good Sarge brought or sent via fax copies of people’s printouts, she was told it was her job to take the information and put the info on separate data sheets and then shred! She told the jury and the court that sometimes she did not do that right away as per procedure! OOPS!
We all got a huge surprise when she told the court that each wiretap had two passwords, one of which was always “omerta!” OK, so when we were shown the codes attached to cases there it was!
Cruise missile Omerta Is this Tom Cruise?
Bold Cocksucker Omerta Is this a Studio Head?
Lisa Bonder Omerta I know this one!
Catholic Girl ***** Omerta Is this Anita Busch?
This is what we were all waiting for, the first witness with IMMUNITY. Oh, it got funny when she told about how Kevin Kachikian, the computer whiz, would come by and listen to the taps and trouble shoot the devices and get them running again…with what would appear full knowledge of what was going on. As Ms. Virtue was speaking about his involvement and his “fixing” the devices, it looked as if he was choking on a super-size of Baklava! She told us about when Ray Turner (the phoneman) would come by how happy he was, “Ray would be happy!” Hell, I was getting happy just hearing about all this cash! Her description of the cash Arneson got was simple, “it was alot!”
OH NO! Another bad cop? Pellicano was paying a retired L.A.P.D. copper by the name of Denise Ward $75.00 per hour to work the field and take pictures, and also photograph “phone junctions” and bring the pictures to the office as stated in court by Ms. Virtue. Anthony had a place in the 818 area code and did not renew the lease. His wiretap devices needed to be in the area code that was being “worked.” The 310’s were in the office and it would appear that the 626 area code was of interest for awhile. This gal Ward was the Field Operative…this is like crazy, the War Room, Field Ops, TeleSleuth, The Good Sarge…and Pellicano terrorizing his staff! This was a good little story, Ward was called the “nosey P.I.,” she was always asking questions and it was policy to tell her as little as possible!
Kevin the computer geek got his wee wee in a bad place today, and I am curious how his very capable attorney will get it back in his pants! Kevin the Geek was always at the office and working and keeping his creation the Telesleuth from freezing. At one point Virtue is asked about this Telesleuth being sold to Law Enforcement, and she basically said no way! That most did not work and the good one would be kept at the office and the not so good ones would be sold to the cops! I guess when they froze someone had to go and fix them…Warranty By The Pelican and the GEEK!
I have to tell you, at first I thought that perhaps the Computer Geek was just that and maybe he did just design things and move on. The U.S. Government has this right! They are as right as white on rice! These guys are all culpable, and it is sad to see people’s lives ruined and in shambles, how do they make all this evidence go away? The lawyers representing them are doing their job and blowing hot air in any direction they can, at this point in the direction of the jury. A few more witnesses like Virtue and I have to tell you, they are going to be getting that look from the jury that every defense attorney dreads. Today it was chilly in that courtroom, and it was not the air conditioning!