This morning, the first defendant charged in connection with the Pellicano investigation was sentenced. U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer sentenced Daniel Nicherie to 54 months in the wiretapping case and 54 months in the underlying fraud case with both sentences to run concurrently. (So the total sentence is 54 months.) The judge also ordered Nicherie to pay $275,000 in restitution. Pellicano remains jailed while awaiting the August 22nd trial on charges he allegedly used phone taps and other illegal methods to gather information on behalf of his clients, who included celebrities and other Hollywood names.