PI pleads no contest in California conspiracy case

LOS ANGELES — A private investigator who once worked for A-list defendants such as Michael Jackson and Winona Ryder pleaded no contest Tuesday to charges that he tried to pay off a suspected rape victim.

Bradley Miller entered his plea to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and three counts of bribing a witness. He faces up to five years in prison when he’s sentenced in April.

Miller’s attorney, Mark Werksman, said his client wants to put the case behind him and move on with his life.

Prosecutors said Miller and two other men plotted to prevent the live-in girlfriend of Alex Izquierdo from testifying against him. Izquierdo was charged with rape, torture and other crimes. He later plead guilty to three counts and was sentenced to 22 years in state prison.

Miller was charged along with George Izquierdo, Izquierdo’s father, and Camilo Valentin, both of whom are scheduled to go on trial in January.

The girlfriend was set to testify at Izquierdo’s trial in 2005 when Valentin allegedly drove her to Las Vegas. All three men are accused of paying her thousands of dollars to remain there.

She was eventually located and returned to Los Angeles.

Alex Izquierdo was represented by attorney Mark Geragos, who has long worked with Miller, including during the child molestation prosecution of Jackson, which ended in acquittal, and the successful shoplifting prosecution of actress Ryder. Miller’s office was searched by investigators in the Jackson probe.

Geragos was not accused of being involved in the alleged conspiracy or payoff.