[Dataloss] SBC telco subscriber information (undefined) loss

[dano]

Found (and deeply buried) in a recent story (6 Feb 2006) in the Los 
Angeles Times about a slimy Hollywood private investigator who has 
been indicted for conspiracy, explosives and wiretapping is a bit 
that two telco employees who assisted the guy may have leaked some 
amount (undefined) of subscriber (undefined) information (also 
undefined). Only slightly more prominent in the story are statements 
that some of the guy's co-conspirators - cops and retired cops - also 
mined LAPD, California Dept of Motor Vehicles and possibly other LE 
databases for information about the targets.

While this story is not about general or widespread consumer data 
loss or even large numbers of people - the thieves apparently only 
targeted specific people in a specific local area and industry niche 
- it seems relevant to the larger theme of dataloss. Also shows how a 
few insiders with access (two cops, two telco employees) can provide 
considerable confidential information with apparent ease. (Would be 
nice to know how much they were paid - "the cost of subversion" so to 
speak.) Also interesting is how the co-conspirators were allowed to 
remain free for 2.5 years while the main conspirator was in prison on 
(other but related) explosives charges.


<http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-020606pellicano_lat,0,5795984.story?coll=la-home-headlines>

(Note that the LAT hides their stories behind a pay-for wall after a 
few days. If you want to see the story then get it now. Subscription 
required, but bugmenot will probably provide a useful login.)


--begin story--

 From the Los Angeles Times
Pellicano Indicted on Racketeering Charges
By Andrew Blankstein and Greg Krikorian
Times Staff Writers

2:45 PM PST, February 6, 2006

After a three-year investigation that frayed nerves in Hollywood, 
celebrity private eye Anthony Pellicano and six others were charged 
today with racketeering and conspiracy to obtain confidential and 
embarrassing information about dozens of individuals.

Pellicano, who pleaded not guilty to the 110-count federal indictment 
that was unsealed this morning, had just finished serving 30 months 
in prison on federal charges for storing explosives in his West 
Hollywood office. He remained in custody.

At one time, Pellicano's roster of clients stretched from Michael 
Jackson to Elizabeth Taylor and Sylvester Stallone. He was the go-to 
detective for information needed by lawyers and agents representing 
entertainment A-listers.

Pellicano, 61, is charged with organizing and masterminding a corrupt 
enterprise that allegedly wiretapped phones, entered private 
computers without authorization, committed wire fraud, bribery, 
identity theft and obstruction of justice.

Pellicano and his associates, including former LAPD Officer Mark 
Arneson, 52, allegedly tapped Stallone and accessed confidential 
police records to learn about prominent people, including comedians 
Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon, New York Times reporter Bernard 
Weinraub and former Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch, according 
to the 60-page indictment.

"Defendant Pellicano was responsible for securing clients who were 
willing and able to pay large sums for the purpose of obtaining 
personal information of a confidential, embarrassing, or 
incriminating nature regarding other individuals, including opponents 
or witnesses in criminal or civil litigation who became the 
enterprise's investigative charges," the indictment alleged.

"We take these [charges] very seriously," acting U.S. Atty. George S. 
Cardona said at an afternoon news conference. "This is not how most 
private investigators do their job."

The indictment alleges a range of crimes with the participants 
playing a variety of roles:

Arneson, of Culver City, was a 29-year veteran of the LAPD. He 
surrendered to authorities this morning, according to prosecutors. 
Arneson is accused of illegally searching law enforcement computers 
to get information for Pellicano, who allegedly paid the officer for 
his work.

Also surrendering was Rayford Earl Turner, 49, of Van Nuys, a former 
field technician for SBC and Pacific Bell. Pellicano and Turner were 
accused in the wiretapping conspiracy.

Kevin Kachikian, 41, of Fountain Valley, was accused of developing a 
wiretapping software program called "Telesleuth" for Pellicano. He 
was arrested this morning by the FBI.

Robert Pfeifer, 50, of Hollywood, once president of Disney-owned 
Hollywood Records, allegedly hired Pellicano to investigate a former 
girlfriend. Pfeifer was arrested Friday.

Abner Nicherie, 42, of Las Vegas was arrested this morning. According 
to authorities, he was involved in a business dispute with a man who 
was wiretapped.

Also charged was Daniel Nicherie, 45, of Las Vegas, Abner's brother, 
who was in federal custody on charges of defrauding the man whom 
Pellicano allegedly wiretapped.

The wiretapping conspiracy charge alleged that Pellicano, with the 
help of Turner and Kachikian, illegally intercepted telephone 
communications of a number of individuals, including real estate 
developer Robert Maguire, Herbalife co-founder Mark Hughes, Stallone 
and journalist Busch.

In addition to the conspiracy charge, Pellicano, Turner and Kachikian 
are charged in nine wiretapping counts. Pellicano and Kachikian are 
additionally charged with possessing illegal wiretapping equipment.

Pfeifer and the Nicherie brothers were each charged with one wiretapping count.

Not charged in the indictment was former Beverly Hills police Officer 
Craig Stevens, who has already pleaded guilty. Arneson and Stevens 
are alleged to have provided Pellicano with confidential DMV and 
criminal history information.

Turner and fellow SBC employee Teresa Wright, who also has pleaded 
guilty, are said to have provided confidential information on 
telephone company subscribers.

Pellicano had been in federal custody at the Taft Correctional 
Institute in Bakersfield until Friday, when he was moved to the San 
Bernardino County Jail to await today's arraignment.

Today's charges are an outgrowth of a bizarre threat made against 
former Times reporter Busch in 2002. Busch walked out to her car one 
morning and discovered a dead fish, a rose and a sign that read 
"Stop" on the hood.

An informant led investigators to an ex-convict named Alexander 
Proctor, who, during a secretly recorded conversation, claimed that 
Pellicano had paid him to carry out the threat.

The FBI subsequently raided Pellicano's Sunset Boulevard offices and 
allegedly recovered computerized records and other evidence that the 
detective had illegally wiretapped people on behalf of clients.

Three weeks ago, Pellicano's former girlfriend, Sandra Will 
Carradine, and Stevens, the former Beverly Hills police officer, 
pleaded guilty to federal charges of lying about the detective's use 
of wiretaps and other illegal tactics. Both are scheduled for 
sentencing in the fall.

Pellicano also faces state charges in connection with the 2002 threat 
against the reporter.

Pfeifer, 50, was held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in 
downtown Los Angeles on Friday, sources close to the investigation 
said.

In court documents, Pfeifer's estranged wife said he was a longtime 
friend of Pellicano and had known for two years that he was a subject 
of the investigation into the detectives' activities.

As part of a custody battle, Maria Misejova Pfeifer filed a sworn 
declaration alleging that Pfeifer had fled to Canada in September 
because he believed that an indictment was imminent.

Because of Pfeifer's "investigation by the FBI and his affiliation 
with Mr. Pellicano," Pfeifer "has contemplated and threatened to flee 
the jurisdiction in the past," she said in her Jan. 16 declaration.

A former musician and producer, Pfeifer was a member of the early 
1980s band Human Switchboard, which recorded an album for I.R.S. 
Records, according to published reports. He was president of 
Hollywood Records from 1994 to 1997.

Before joining the Disney company, he worked as an artist and 
repertoire executive at Epic Records, a division of Sony. In 2000, he 
founded the multimedia company Segnana Inc.

Pellicano's new attorney, Steven Gruel, said Saturday that Pellicano 
would not testify against others, including former clients.

"It is my firm belief that Mr. Pellicano is adamant in his 
determination not to cooperate with the federal prosecution," Gruel 
said.


Contributing to this report were Times staff writers Michael Muskal 
and Chuck Philips, and research librarian Robin Mayper.


--end story--