Private Investigator Convicted for GPS Tracking of Costa Mesa Candidate

COSTA MESA, CA — A private investigator working for a law firm retained by the Costa Mesa Police Officers’ Association was convicted on Wednesday of committing crimes against two Costa Mesa council members and a competitor attorney.

46-year-old Christopher Joseph Lanzillo of Lake Arrowhead pleaded guilty to the court to two felony counts of conspiracy to commit a crime of unlawful use of electronic tracking device, one felony count of false imprisonment by deceit, and one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime of falsely reporting crime to agency.

Lanzillo and co-defendant Scott Alan Impola of Canyon Lake are both charged in this case. Together, they worked as private investigators for a former Upland-based law firm of Lackie, Dammeier, McGill and Ethir according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office spokesperson Roxi Fyad.

The two were retained to conduct "candidate research," to specifically conduct surveillance on Costa Mesa City Council Members prior to the 2012 election. A GPS device that was purchased in June 2012 under the alias "Robert Teller of Teller Investigations," was used to track the automobile belonging to then councilman Stephen Mensinger.

The two also falsely reported that then councilman Jim Righeimer "may be under the influence of alcohol" while driving. Costa Mesa police were dispatched in that case, and Righeimer was detained outside his home during the investigation but was released when he was found not under the influence.

"I and Scott Impola did unlawfully conspire together and with another person to commit the crime of unlawful use of electronic tracking device," Lanzillo's statement and waiver of rights for his guilty plea stated.

Lanzillo faces a maximum sentence of four years and four months in jail, as well as revocation of his private investigators’ license, at his sentencing on Jan. 13, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-29, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Co-defendant Scott Alan Impola, 48, Canyon Lake, is facing the same charges and is scheduled for jury trial on March 15, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

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