Die Hard director goes to jail for perjury
By ANITuesday, October 5, 2010
LONDON - John McTiernan, director of the Die Hard films, has been sentenced to one year in prison for perjury.
McTiernan was also involved in lying to officials in a wiretapping case involving a former private investigator, who represented several Hollywood stars.
McTiernan, 59, was also fined 100,000 dollars at the conclusion of the long-running case which stemmed from him hiring convicted private investigator Anthony Pellicano to wiretap a film producer after they both worked on the 2002 film Rollerball.
At first, he lied to the FBI; then in 2006 he pleaded guilty and then asked to withdraw his guilty plea saying he had received poor legal advice.
“The defendant doesn’t think the law applies to him, and the court has no reason to believe he will not violate the law again when it suits him,” The Telegraph quoted US district judge Dale S. Fischer as saying, before sentencing McTiernan.
“Mr McTiernan was forced to plead guilty to a crime most people don’t even know is a crime,” defended Oliver Diaz, McTiernan’s lawyer.
“Records in this case show that nearly every one contacted by this (FBI) agent denied knowledge of Pellicano’s activities, making statements similar to Mr. McTiernan’s,” he said. (ANI)
