LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Die Hard" director John McTiernan, the biggest name indicted so far in the Hollywood wiretapping scandal involving disgraced celebrity sleuth Anthony Pellicano, pleaded guilty on Monday to lying to federal agents.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge Dale Fischer after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, the 55-year-old director admitted he had misled investigators probing whether Pellicano illegally eavesdropped on dozens of Hollywood celebrities, journalists and business executives.

McTiernan admitted that he had lied to agents when he said that he had not asked Pellicano to wiretap producer Charles Roven, with whom he worked on the 2002 film "Rollerball."

McTiernan, whose credits also include "The Hunt for Red October," said: "In fact I had ... asked Anthony Pellicano to wiretap Charles Roven in ... the summer of 2000. I spoke with him about it, I never received a report ... After approximately two weeks, I paid him off and fired him."

Pellicano, who has worked for some of the biggest names in Hollywood, was charged in February in a 110-count racketeering and conspiracy indictment, which alleges he illegally wiretapped and obtained the confidential records of performers, journalists and business executives.

He has pleaded not guilty to the indictment, which was returned just before he completed a 30-month term in federal prison for firearms violations. He faces up to 20 years behind bars on each of the racketeering charges.

Among those whose privacy he is accused of breaching through wiretaps or illicit database searches were actors Sylvester Stallone and Keith Carradine, and comedians Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon.

It was not revealed whether McTiernan is cooperating with prosecutors. He is to be sentenced on July 31. Prosecutors asked that details of his plea agreement be sealed.