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September 27, 2007

Steroids Sold on MySpace, Official Says

By THOMAS KAPLAN

NEW HAVEN, Sept. 26 — Steroids have long been sold in gyms and locker rooms, through the mail and at weight-lifting competitions. Now, the authorities here say teenagers can purchase them by browsing their favorite social-networking Web site.

Among the more than 120 arrests announced on Monday in what the authorities called the largest steroids crackdown in the nation’s history, five men charged in a Connecticut sting stood out not for what they were peddling, but for where they were suspected of doing it: on MySpace.com.

For teenagers who flock to the Web site to watch videos and connect with friends, ordering anabolic steroids took no more than a few extra mouse clicks, the authorities said. And with the Web site’s popularity among young people, some coaches in this area described the case as an unpleasant reminder about how easily minors can surreptitiously obtain performance-enhancing drugs.

In an indictment unsealed on Friday, four men — three from Arizona and one from Pennsylvania — are accused of purchasing raw steroid powder from China, manufacturing the drugs in home-based laboratories and selling the finished products through a MySpace profile and an online store they created. The investigation also netted a Florida man who advertised and distributed steroids through his MySpace page. He pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court in Hartford, said Kevin J. O’Connor, the United States attorney in Connecticut.

“Of particular concern to us is obviously the use of profiles on MySpace.com, which gives us concern that this might in fact be a way to market to minors and to children,” Mr. O’Connor said at a news conference earlier this week. “Some of the methods that we’ve uncovered in this investigation lead us to conclude that it may not just be adults that are being marketed to.”

MySpace users could initiate a purchase by sending a message through a seller’s profile, Mr. O’Connor said.

Beyond what the authorities disclosed, a cursory search on the site this week revealed a profile of a 27-year-old woman from Tempe, Ariz., that linked to an online pharmacy that sells “only genuine” steroids. “If you’re looking for anabolic supplements,” the woman wrote in a post on her profile, “you are in the right place.” Another profile, of a steroid-proffering online pharmacy, listed a 16-year-old high school student among its “friends.”

MySpace and other networking sites are already under pressure from state attorneys general, including Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, to increase their efforts to protect minors from sexual predators. Mr. Blumenthal said the presence of steroid operators on MySpace was another reason the company and others like it must implement more safeguards.

“Our focus as attorneys general has been on pornography and predators, but marketing illegal drugs is equally troubling and certainly shows the need for stronger controls and verification of age and identity,” he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

Those measures would render the Web sites useless for anyone seeking to sell contraband, Mr. Blumenthal said. “To put it very bluntly, if a seller of steroids knows that his identity will be checked and his age verified, he is much less likely to use a social-networking site,” he said.

Representatives of MySpace, which is owned by News Corporation, did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this article.

The authorities in Connecticut said they planned to seek those who bought steroids from the men who were charged — especially if they were coaches, teachers or students.

“If they’re minors, we want to give them a wake-up call, let their parents know what their kids are doing,” Mr. O’Connor said. “Certainly it wouldn’t be surprising, I don’t think, if kids are using steroids, based on what we know today.”

That is what worries some coaches in this area.

“Absolutely it’s a concern,” said Craig W. Semple, the athletic director at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, where six students were arrested and charged with possessing steroids in 2005.

Mr. Semple said student-athletes are taught about the dangers of steroids and train at school facilities instead of in private gyms. But on the Internet, he said, there is little a school can do to protect them.

Tom Brockett, head coach of the top-ranked football team at Ansonia High School, said he was concerned about the freedom young people have with computers.

“The problem is, kids can get anything online, any day, anything they need,” Mr. Brockett said. “The more it’s thrown in their face, the easier it’s going to be.”

The four men indicted — Edwin F. Porter, 41, and Matthew J. Peltz, 36, of Chandler, Ariz.; Tyler J. Lunn, 27, of Phoenix; and Walter T. Corey, 37, of Charleroi, Pa. — face up to 15 years in prison and a $750,000 fine if convicted on the steroids charges. A fifth man, Brian S. Tompkins, 29, of Deltona, Fla., is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10 and will probably face at least two years in prison.

A sixth man, Alan R. Blair, 52, of Wilton, Conn., pleaded guilty on Monday to selling human growth hormone on an Internet site, though not through MySpace.

The 18-month investigation, called Operation Phony Pharm, is continuing, said Kimberly K. Mertz, the special agent in charge of the F.B.I. in Connecticut. More arrests are expected, she said.

NBC Recalls Better-Rated Heyday By Reviving 'Knight Rider'

Proving once again that his finger is firmly on the pulse of what is hot in other countries, in the decades before his network slid into fourth place, or at the multiplex three months ago, NBC's perfect TV executive storm Ben Silverman has made yet another bold programming move that should shame his overly cautious, Idol-dependent, Cavemen-greenlighting rivals: according to Variety, his Peacock is bringing back Knight Rider, preparing a two-hour backdoor pilot that will reintroduce audiences to an updated series about the love between a man and his sassy, wisecracking supercar.

(Hasselhoff, of course, is too busy with other projects to even entertain the idea of trying to squeeze in to his old Members Only jacket.)

But realizing that the harder-to-please kids of today would likely dismiss the idea of a talking-car show with, "Why does that dude's OnStar sound so gay?" the first time K.I.T.T* speaks, Silverman's got a totally killer hook to keep them so transfixed they'll hardly notice the Mountain Dew Game Fuel they're drooling all over their Hot Topic t-shirts: The car--or rather, cars, as some will likely be "evil"--will transform, capitalizing on a desirable demographic's proven love of giant-fucking-robot-related entertainment.

To his credit, Silverman ultimately decided against integrating other box-office-tested elements, rejecting a briefly considered idea that Michael Knight should be a pirate of indeterminate sexuality.

[*And can we do something about that name? How about P.A.N.T.H.E.R? Someone in development can figure out what it's supposed to stand for.]

NBC taps Liman for 'Knight Rider'

Network readying two-hour backdoor pilot

By JOSEF ADALIAN

Doug Liman Original 'Knight Rider' was a hit for NBC from 1982-86.

NBC is bringing back "Knight Rider," tapping Doug Liman to produce a "Transformers"-inspired reworking of the 1980s hit action-drama series about a man and his indestructible supercar.

Peacock is readying a two-hour backdoor pilot for the project, with tentative plans to air it as a telepic later this season. Liman is open to the idea of directing, assuming his feature sked allows. If the telepic clicks, a new-model "Knight Rider" could be on the air as early as next fall.

Dave Andron ("Raines") is writing the pilot script and will serve as supervising producer alongside exec producers Liman and Dave Bartis ("The O.C.," "Heist") for Universal Media Studios and Dutch Oven Prods.

Success of "Transformers" had a role in inspiring NBC Entertainment chief Ben Silverman's decision to revive "Knight." The thinking is that smallscreen f/x have advanced to the point where it'd be feasible to have a weekly series in which cars shift shapes.

It's also likely the new show will explore the idea of "evil" cars to offset the heroic talking K.I.T.T. car of the original skein, which starred David Hasselhoff. That said, skein is expected to essentially remain focused on the story of a single man fighting for justice with the help of his superadvanced car.

There's also huge potential for advertiser integration. General Motors was all over "Transformers," and it's easy to see NBC striking a rich deal with a single automaker to serve as the exclusive auto brand for the new "Knight." It's understood preliminary talks have already begun.

Peacock is also veering from current conventional wisdom by moving forward with a telepic/backdoor pilot for "Knight." Nets rarely produce telepics with an eye on turning them into series anymore, in part because the telepic has essentially disappeared from the broadcast network scene.

But NBC execs no doubt feel "Knight Rider" is enough of a pre-sold brand to lure an audience. What's more, the telepic could serve as a good replacement for repeats come spring, perhaps replacing an encore of "Heroes" or "Bionic Woman."

"Knight" originally aired on NBC from 1982 until 1986, with Hasselhoff playing smooth crimefighter Michael Knight. A spinoff skein, "Team Knight Rider," aired in syndication during the 1997-98 season.

Project was put together by CAA and Adam Kolbrenner of Madhouse Entertainment.

Glen Larson created the original "Knight Rider" for Universal Television.

Money helped Spector more than celebrity

His fortune gave him access to top attorneys and other resources that 99% of defendants could never afford, legal experts say.

By Henry Weinstein
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 27, 2007

In January 1965, the Righteous Brothers song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" hit the airwaves and soon became a No. 1 hit. By the end of the 20th century, the anthemic tune had become the most played song on American radio. It can still be heard almost any day in any part of the country.

Every time the song is played on the radio, producer and co-writer Phil Spector makes money.

Over the last four years, Spector used that bundle of cash, as well as money he made from several other signature songs of the '60s and '70s, to hire seven lawyers, a bevy of forensic experts and several private investigators to mount a defense against a second-degree murder charge.

After a Los Angeles jury told Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler that it was hopelessly deadlocked Wednesday, several legal experts said Spector's ability to finance a more elaborate defense than 99% of other murder defendants played a key role in the record producer being able to walk away free, pending a retrial.

"Whether you are buying a car, a boat or a defense, the bigger the budget, the better the ride," said Robert Hirschhorn, a Houston jury consultant who has worked on many high-profile cases.

Several other legal experts agreed that although Spector was not a celebrity of the magnitude of O.J. Simpson or Michael Jackson, his wealth served him well in the trial.

"I don't think" the jurors who held out for acquittal did it "because of some 'we love Phil' sentiment," Loyola law professor Laurie Levenson said.

Rather, she said, she thought Spector's vast resources enabled him to hire a large and sophisticated defense team that was able to persuade two jurors that he had not shot and killed actress Lana Clarkson four years ago.

"It's fair to say the more resources you have, the better the result you are likely to get," Levenson said.

Prosecutor Alan Jackson listens as the jury of nine men and three women tells Judge Larry Paul Fidler that it could not reach a verdict. The prosecution plans to try the record producer again.

Noting that several jurors initially indicated that they did not know who Spector was, Levenson said his money was more important than his fame.

"Even when Spector was at his peak, he was a behind-the-scenes person," unlike the performers he produced, including the Beatles, Ben E. King, Ike and Tina Turner, the Ronettes, the Crystals and the Ramones, said USC law professor Jean Rosenbluth.

But all the work Spector did for those stars brought him wealth, and in the end "money matters more than celebrity," Rosenbluth said.

A juror who thought that Spector was guilty dismissed the notion in a post-trial interview that the music producer's renown, which the defense labored to keep in the jury's mind, had anything to do with the outcome. Rather, the juror said, Spector's team had enough firepower to offer several possible reasons for acquittal.

"I think the money Spector used for forensic experts" who countered the prosecution's blood-splatter evidence, was well spent, said Loyola law professor Stan Goldman, who followed the trial closely.

Most defendants don't have more than $100,000 to spend on someone like forensic pathologist Michael Baden, who spent several years working on the case, Goldman said.

"It is not a matter of hiring these guys and having them spend a few minutes on this," Goldman said. It was clear "that they spent serious time thinking about this case."

The jury foreman cited three factors that played a role in the decision of jurors to vote not guilty.

They included the prosecution's failure to present a psychological profile of Clarkson to counter defense witnesses who suggested she had committed suicide. In addition to the medical experts, the defense called on the testimony of several former friends of Clarkson, who were found by defense investigators.

The foreman cited the prosecution's failure to establish that Spector had held the gun when Clarkson was shot. The foreman also said that driver Adriano DeSouza's testimony that he heard Spector say "I think I killed somebody" was undercut by DeSouza's videotaped remark to police that his English was not perfect and that he was not positive about what he had heard.

Goldman said the defense team apparently had proved wrong the skeptics who ridiculed Spector's lawyers for injecting the suicide theory into the case.

"They said it was a terrible defense that will never work, but apparently it was one of the things that the defense needed to do," Goldman said.

A key defense witness on this point was Werner Spitz, formerly the chief medical examiner of Wayne County, Mich. He offered testimony that Clarkson shot herself. Spitz called the shooting "a spur-of-the-moment determination, without thinking."

Spitz and two other defense experts directly disputed contentions by prosecutors and the Los Angeles County medical examiner that Spector murdered the 40-year-old actress.

Spitz told the jury he concluded that Clarkson shot herself because gunshot wounds in the mouth almost always are self-inflicted. He also said that blood, tissue and gunshot residue found on her hands suggested that she was holding the gun. Moreover, Spitz testified that Clarkson was in an unbalanced mental state and that her judgment was impaired by alcohol and drug use.

Clearly, not all of Spector's spending bore fruit. Some of his millions went to well-known lawyers who were not around at the end.

Sheriff's deputies escort members of the Spector jury from the courtroom after they announced they were unable to reach a verdict and were split 10 to 2. The man in the center in a blue shirt was the foreman; juror No. 9 is just visible behind him. Juror No. 12 is at right in a white shirt. Jurors afterward said 10 favored conviction.

He parted ways well before the trial started with two of the best-known attorneys in Los Angeles -- Robert Shapiro, one of the lead defense lawyers in the Simpson case, and Leslie Abramson, who kept brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez off death row after they had murdered their parents. And Bruce Cutler, who had represented Mafia boss John Gotti before Spector hired him, quit after testimony ended, when he learned that he would be barred from taking part in the closing arguments.

Perhaps Spector's best investment in an attorney was Dennis Riordan, of San Francisco, the last lawyer to join the team. Riordan played the lead role in drafting jury instructions that helped produce a deadlock, jurors said.

New York Restaurant Owner 'Shocked' Over Ex-President Clinton's Demands to Remove Chelsea Photo

A photo of Chelsea Clinton and New York restaurateur Nino Selimaj, displayed in his restaurant's window, might not be there much longer.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans

NEW YORK —

The owner of a New York City restaurant is “heartbroken” over a letter he received from former President Bill Clinton's lawyer asking that a photograph of daughter Chelsea be removed from his eatery — or face legal action.

The photo, taken of the former first daughter with Osso Buco owner Nino Selimaj, has been on display in the window of the Greenwich Village haunt for about five years, the restaurateur said. It was snapped when Chelsea, now 27, was having dinner there with a group of about 30 friends.

But Selimaj said he was shocked when he received a letter from Clinton’s lawyer Douglas J. Band on Sept. 18 threatening legal action if the photograph of “private citizen” Chelsea was not taken down. The photograph is still on display near the front entrance of the restaurant — only now, the letter is posted alongside it.

“We ask that you immediately remove that picture and any and all pictures displaying Ms. Clinton,” the letter warns. “We reserve the right to exercise any and all options available to us if you refuse to comply.”

• Chelsea Clinton Photo Fight: Maybe It Was Something She Ate

Selimaj said he won’t take the picture down unless he’s “forced,” and he’d like to try to resolve the matter with the former president first. The Italian restaurant owner’s office was in the process of drafting a reply Wednesday that he hoped would be sent off by day’s end.

“I was disappointed because she meant a lot to me. I was heartbroken,” he told FOXNews.com. “I don’t think I’m taking it down until I’m forced. I hope I’m solving the problem with him with a letter.”

Selimaj has several pictures of celebrities on the walls inside his restaurant and a few, along with Chelsea's, displayed on the eatery's front window.

Clinton’s lawyer told Selimaj that the use of the photo wasn’t allowed because Chelsea Clinton hadn’t given the OK.

“Ms. Clinton, a private citizen, was not consulted prior to this picture being displayed, and thus, her permission was not given for you to do so,” the letter read. “While she may have dined at your restaurant, this does not serve as an endorsement.”

Selimaj admitted that the photo in the window does draw customers.

“The picture helps for business,” he told a small news conference outside the restaurant Wednesday. But he claimed he hadn’t contacted reporters about the dispute to lure diners in.

It wasn't clear why the Clintons object to the photo — or whether it could be a simple matter of vanity. Selimaj said he didn't know if Chelsea wants it taken down because she isn't happy with the way she looks in the picture.

"If she doesn't like it, I would love to take a new photo," he said.

Bill Clinton's New York City office was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

A lawyer who walked by the restaurant Wednesday said the Clintons might have a case, because the use of photographs of private citizens or celebrities for commercial purposes can sometimes be subject to lawsuits.

“She’s a public figure, so they could claim he’s exploiting her image,” said Paul Leavin, 61, of New York. He said the issue of whether or not the ex-president’s daughter is a private citizen, as well as whether the photo was being used for commercial gain, were both up for dispute.

Other onlookers had mixed feelings about the verbal scuffle.

"I don't see why Bill Clinton is getting involved," said NYU student Julia Armet, 19. "Maybe she's pregnant."

Though earlier reports suggested the ordeal had soured Selimaj on the idea of supporting Chelsea’s mother in her presidential run, he told FOXNews.com he still might consider voting for the New York senator.

“I’m a Republican, but I will think about voting for Hillary Clinton,” he said, laughing.

And while he’s upset about the way the Clintons are handling this photograph matter, the Albanian native still admires Bill Clinton because he's grateful for what the former president did for Albanian refugees in Kosovo.

Selimaj, the father of four daughters, speaks with fondness of Clinton’s little girl. He hopes he'll be able to keep the picture up — and said the Clintons are always welcome at his restaurant.

Chelsea, he said, has dined at Osso Buco a few times since that night he posed with her, but not in recent years.

“Chelsea is like my own daughter,” Selimaj said. “President Clinton is still my favorite president.”

P.I. Sues Joe Pesci in Real-Life Crime Caper !!!

Posted Sep 26th 2007 7:33PM by TMZ Staff
Filed under: Celebrity Justice

TMZ has obtained a breach of contract lawsuit filed by private investigator John Perry against numerous defendants, including "Lethal Weapon" star Joe Pesci.

In the lawsuit, filed yesterday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Perry claims he was hired by Pesci "to perform private investigative, bodyguard, security and property surveillance services." Perry says he was hired by the actor to investigate attempted murder allegations against Pesci and his ex-wife.

According to the suit, "Pesci regularly maintained both the innocence of his ex-wife as well as his own non-involvement in the alleged attempted murder."Pesci's ex, Claudio "Marti" Haro, was arrested in 2005 on attempted murder charges after her stuntman husband was gunned down on his doorstep -- but survived the shooting. Haro was charged with hiring a hitman to carry out the crime and is currently still in jail.

Perry says that through 2005 and 2006 he "performed the services as requested" -- services totaling $103,000 -- and was told by Pesci he would be paid. Perry says he was never paid. Perry claims all the defendants "knew Perry would never be paid" and alleges that the defendants, including Pesci, had ulterior motives for hiring him.

A rep for Pesci could not be reached for comment.