Jackson Culprits Plead Guilty

By TMZ.COM STAFF

(Mar. 6, 6:50PM ET) -- TMZ was in Federal court today as Jeffrey Borer and Arvel "Jett" Reeves pled guilty Monday afternoon to conspiracy for illegally taping Michael Jackson as he flew from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara in 2003.

Jackson, who flew on a Gulfstream jet with his attorney, Mark Geragos, was arrested when he landed in Santa Barbara and taken to the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department where he was booked on charges of child molestation. Jackson was acquitted of those charges last year.

Borer was the owner of XtraJet, a charter jet company that operated the Gulfstream and Reeves owned the company that serviced the XtraJet fleet. The pair installed a videotape (with audio) and intercepted private conversations between Garagos and Jackson.

Borer and Reeves were both charged with conspiracy, endeavoring to intercept oral communications and witness tampering. In exchange for their conspiracy plea, prosecutors dropped the other two counts.

Judge Howard Matz's bailiff kicked our TMZ producer out of the hearing, telling us it was "closed." The producer subsequently went back in and watched the proceeding. Sentencing is set for July 12.