Hollywood attorney indicted for wiretaps

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Prominent Hollywood entertainment attorney Terry Christensen is the latest to be caught in the web of a federal probe of private eye Anthony Pellicano.

Christensen was indicted Wednesday for allegedly paying Pellicano $100,000 to eavesdrop on the phone calls of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian's ex-wife, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

Pellicano allegedly tapped into Lisa Bonder Kerkorian's phone calls with her attorneys and reported the information back to Christensen, who was representing her husband in a bitter child support case, the grand jury alleged.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Saunders told the Times Christensen used wiretaps to gain a tactical advantage. His arraignment was scheduled in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for Tuesday.

Christensen, 65, brought to 12 the number of people caught up in the ongoing FBI probe of Pellicano. The defendants face a range of charges such as bribery of law enforcement officers, eavesdropping, blackmail, witness intimidation and other attempts to corrupt the judicial system.