Story of the Day - OJ Simpson arrested

Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947) (also known by his nickname, The Juice) is an American athlete who achieved stardom as a running back at the collegiate and professional levels, and was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He later worked as an actor, spokesperson and broadcaster.

Simpson is infamous for having been tried for the murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994. He was acquitted in criminal court in 1995 after a lengthy, highly publicized trial (sometimes called the "Trial of the Century" in America). In 1997, Simpson was found liable for their deaths in civil court, but to date has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment.[1] He gained further notoriety in late 2006 when he wrote a book titled If I Did It, withdrawn by the publisher just before its release, which purports to be a first-person fictional account of the murder had he actually committed it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.J._Simpson


Timeline of O.J. Simpson since 1994
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/09/14/simpsontimeline_0915.html
The Heisman Trophy winner, ex-NFL star and actor lives near Miami and has been a tabloid staple since his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994. Simpson was acquitted of murder charges, but a jury later held him liable for the killings in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Simpson has had to auction off his sports collectibles, including his Heisman Trophy, to pay some of the $33.5 million judgment awarded in the civil trial.

1994

June 12: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman knifed to death.

June 17: After Bronco chase, O.J. Simpson arrested and charged with murder.

July 22: Simpson pleads "absolutely, 100 percent not guilty."


1995

Jan. 24: Opening statements begin.

May 4: Goldman family sues.

June 12: On anniversary of killings, Brown family sues.

Sept. 22: Defense and prosecution rest. Simpson tells judge: "I did not, could not and would not have committed this crime."

Oct. 2: After four hours of deliberation, jury (nine blacks, two whites, one Hispanic) reaches verdict. It is sealed.

Oct. 3: Simpson acquitted.


1996

Sept. 18: Jury selection for civil trial begins.

Oct. 23: Opening statements begin. Jury has nine whites, one black, one Hispanic, one person of black and Asian ancestry.

Nov. 6: Photographer says he took picture of Simpson in 1993 wearing what appear to be Bruno Magli shoes of the sort worn by the killer.

Nov. 11: Pathologist says gouges on Simpson's hands could have been caused by victims' fingernails.

Nov. 22: Simpson testifies before a jury for first time. Denies killing Ms. Simpson and Goldman but can't explain physical evidence against him.

Nov. 25: Simpson calls shoe picture a fraud, says he might have cut hand "rassling" with son.

Dec. 20: Orange County judge awards Simpson custody of children Sydney and Justin.


1997

Jan. 6: Jury shown 30 more pictures of Simpson in Bruno Magli shoes.

Jan. 13: Simpson denies again he ever wore Bruno Maglis.

Jan. 21: Plaintiffs' closing arguments. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli points at Simpson and says: "There's a killer in this courtroom."

Jan. 22: Defense closing arguments. Attorney Robert Baker says: "It's law enforcement vs. O.J. Simpson."

Feb. 4: Jury finds Simpson liable in slayings; awards $8.5 million in compensatory damages.

Feb. 6: Punitive phase begins. Defense claims Simpson is $9.3 million in debt; plaintiffs claim he is worth $15.7 million.

Feb. 10: Jury awards Goldman's parents $ 12.5 million and Ms. Simpson's children $12.5 million.


1998

January: In an interview with an Esquire magazine writer, Simpson says that if he had killed his ex-wife, "it would have to have been because I loved her very much, right?"

January: Hints in a televised ESPN interview that the murderer was or is somehow related to Faye Resnick, a friend of Nicole Simpson.


1999

February: An auction of some of Simpson's belongings including his Heisman Trophy brings in a little less than $500,000. The money goes to Goldman's family.

April: Simpson fends off an armed robber in the parking lot of a Los Angeles golf course.


2000

December: Simpson is accused of assaulting a driver in Miami and is charged with a Florida law involving road rage.


2001

October: A Miami jury finds him not guilty of the road rage charge.

December: Simpson's home in the Miami suburbs is raided by federal agents investigating sales of the drug ecstasy. He is never charged.


2006

March: Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., Simpson's lead attorney during his murder trial, dies from an inoperable brain tumor.

November: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. on Monday announces plans to publish a book and air a two-part television interview with Simpson. The book, entitled "If I Did It," explained how Simpson would have theoretically murdered his former wife and Ronald Goldman. After about a week of protests, Murdoch kills the deal.


2007

Sept. 13: The Goldman family, having been awarded the rights to the never distributed book, publishes it under the title, "If I Did It: The Confessions of the Killer."


O.J. Press Conference (Las Vegas Metro Police)


Simpson Named Suspect In Armed Robbery
O.J. Simpson Named Suspect In Armed Robbery, Says He Was Trying To Retrieve Stolen Property
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/topstories_story_257093858.html
O.J. Simpson says he only went into a casino hotel room to retrieve memorabilia that he felt was stolen from him. But police are investigating it as an armed robbery and named the fallen football star as a suspect Friday in yet another surprising chapter to his legal saga.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Simpson insisted there were no guns involved and he only went to the room at the Palace Station casino to retrieve stolen mementos that included his Hall of Fame certificate and a picture of the running back with J. Edgar Hoover.

"It's stolen stuff that's mine. Nobody was roughed up," Simpson told the AP.

Las Vegas Metro Police Capt. James Dillon said the confrontation was reported as an armed robbery involving guns. But he said no weapons had been recovered and stressed that the investigation was in its "infancy."

Simpson was questioned by police immediately after the incident late Thursday and a formal interview was being arranged, Dillon said. No charges had been filed and no one was in custody.

Simpson said auction house owner Tom Riccio called him several weeks ago to say some collectors "have a lot of your stuff and they don't want anyone to know they are selling it."

Simpson, who was in Las Vegas for a friend's wedding, said he arranged to meet Riccio at the hotel. Riccio had set up a meeting with collectors under the guise that he had a private collector interested in buying Simpson's items.

"We walked into the room," Simpson said in the telephone interview. "I'm the last one to go in and when they see me, it's all 'Oh God.'"

Simpson said he was accompanied by several men he met at a wedding cocktail party, and they took the collectibles.

Simpson said he wasn't sure where the items were taken.

Dillon said some of the items had been recovered. He did not specify which collectibles were located.

A message left for Riccio was not immediately returned.

Police spokesman Jose Montoya said when officers talked to Simpson, he "made the comment that he believed the memorabilia was his. We're getting conflicting stories from the two sides."

One of the collectors in the room was Alfred Beardsley, a real estate agent and longtime collector of Simpson memorabilia, some of which he has been ordered to turn over as part of the Goldman's lawsuit.

"I'm OK. I'm shaken up," Beardsley told the AP by phone, but wouldn't comment further, citing the police investigation.

Bruce Fromong, a collector who testified at Simpson's civil trial, said he was in the room when Simpson barged in with other men.

"Him and some of his guys come busting through the door," Fromong told the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com. "They came in with guns, hollering and screaming."

Fromong, who reportedly tried to sell the suit Simpson wore when he was acquitted of murder, described him as a former close friend and said he couldn't explain the behavior.

"O.J.'s in enough trouble. For him to come and do this kind of thing, I don't know what's wrong with O.J. This is stupidity."

Simpson is considered a suspect in the case, Montoya said. He was released after he and several associates were questioned, and he remained in Las Vegas.

"We don't believe he's going anywhere," Montoya said.

The Las Vegas district attorney's office will decide whether to pursue charges in the casino case.

The Heisman Trophy winner, ex-NFL star and actor lives near Miami and has been a tabloid staple since his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994. Simpson was acquitted of murder charges, but a jury later held him liable for the killings in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Simpson has had to auction off his sports collectibles, including his Heisman Trophy, to pay some of the $33.5 million judgment awarded in the civil trial.

On Thursday, the Goldman family published a book about the killings that Simpson had written under the title, "If I Did It," about how he would have committed the crime had he actually done it. After a deal for Simpson to publish it fell through, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the book's rights to the Goldman family, who retitled it "If I Did It: The Confessions of the Killer."

Fred Goldman, Ron's Goldman's father, said he was stunned by the news from Las Vegas.

"I'm overwhelmed and amazed," Fred Goldman told the AP. "If it turns out as it is currently being played, I think this shows more of who he is. He is proving over and over and over again that he thinks he can do anything and get away with it."

Goldman's lawyer, David Cook, said he would seek a court order on Tuesday to get whatever items Simpson took in Las Vegas.

The Palace Station, an aging property just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of several Station Casinos-owned resorts that cater to locals. The 1,000-room hotel-casino, with a 21-story tower and adjacent buildings, opened in 1976.

A company spokeswoman did not immediately return a call for comment.


O.J. Simpson ARRESTED

O.J. Simpson Arrested in Armed Robbery



O.J. Simpson held without bail
Former football star faces multiple felony charges in memorabilia incident
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20773318/
LAS VEGAS - O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday and faces multiple felony charges in an alleged armed robbery of collectors involving the former football great’s sports memorabilia, authorities said.

Prosecutors were planning to charge Simpson with two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and coercion, said Clark County District Attorney David Roger.

A conviction on the most serious charge, robbery with use of a deadly weapon, could bring a sentence of three to 35 years for each count, he said. A judge ordered Simpson held without bail, police said.


“He is facing a lot of time,” Roger said.

Simpson was being transferred to a detention center for booking, Dillon said. Dillon said he did not know whether Simpson would be able to post bail and be released Sunday.

“He was very cooperative, there were no issues,” Dillon said.

At least one other person has been arrested and police said Sunday that they were searching for four others in connection with the alleged armed robbery that occurred in a room inside the Palace Station casino-hotel on Thursday.

Police Lt. Clint Nichols said Simpson invoked his right to an attorney immediately after being arrested.

Simpson, 60, has said he and other people with him were retrieving items that belonged to him. Simpson has said there were no guns involved and that he went to the room at the casino only to get stolen mementos that included his Hall of Fame certificate and a picture of the running back with J. Edgar Hoover.

Simpson told The Associated Press on Saturday that he did not call the police to help reclaim the items because he has found the police unresponsive to him ever since his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, were killed in 1994.

“The police, since my trouble, have not worked out for me,” he said, noting that whenever he has called the police “It just becomes a story about O.J.”

The Heisman Trophy winner, ex-NFL star and actor lives near Miami and has been a tabloid staple since his ex-wife and Goldman were killed in 1994. Simpson was acquitted of murder charges, but a jury later held him liable for the killings in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Police said two firearms and other evidence were seized at a private residence early Sunday.

Walter Alexander, 46, of Arizona, was arrested Saturday night on two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary with a deadly weapon.

He was released without bail on Saturday night, Dillon said.

Besides the two firearms, police said they seized other evidence during early morning searches of two residences, Lt. Clint Nichols said.

“It was evidence of a crime that was committed,” Nichols said. “And I believe we recovered some clothing that the individual was wearing in the commission of the robbery.”

Simpson said auction house owner Tom Riccio called him several weeks ago to say some collectors were selling some of his items. Riccio set up a meeting with collectors under the guise that he had a private collector interested in buying Simpson’s items.

Simpson said he was accompanied by several men he met at a wedding cocktail party, and they took the collectibles.

Alfred Beardsley, one of the sports memorabilia collectors involved in the alleged robbery, has said he wants the case dropped and that he’s “on O.J.’s side.”

Nichols said police had a responsibility to investigate how the collectibles were taken, regardless of who they belong to.

“We don’t believe that anybody was roughed up, but there were firearms involved in the commission of the robbery,” he said.

Simpson’s arrest came just days after the Goldman family published a book that Simpson had written under the title, “If I Did It,” about how he would have committed the killings of his ex-wife and Goldman had he actually done it.

After a deal for Simpson to publish it fell through, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the book’s rights to the Goldman family, who retitled it “If I Did It: The Confessions of the Killer.” On Sunday, the book was the hottest seller in the country, hitting No. 1 on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.





Memorabilia Dealer and Former Friend Says Simpson Was in the Room During Robbery
O.J. Simpson Arrested on Multiple Felony Counts, Held Without Bail in Las Vegas Jail
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3611324&page=1


Police arrested former football star O.J. Simpson at a Las Vegas hotel Sunday after police say he and five men robbed two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in their hotel room.

Simpson is being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail until Thursday, but ABC News has learned that Simpson's attorney plans to file an emergency motion requesting an emergency bail hearing by 10 a.m.

Bruce Fromong, one of the dealers in the room and a former friend of Simpson, said today on "Good Morning America" that Simpson was the last person who came through the door.

"The thing in my mind as soon as I saw him, I'm thinking, 'O.J., how can you be this dumb?'" Fromong said. "He didn't need to be there."

Fromong said Simpson and his cohorts initially said they were customers, looking to buy memorabilia. Two of the men — not Simpson, he said — were armed.

"The door burst open, and in came, running in, almost commando-style, O.J. Simpson and some of his people, with guns drawn," Fromong said. "And O.J. at that time was saying, 'I want my stuff. I want my stuff.'"

Fromong said that Simpson was in the room during the armed robbery, but that Simpson never held a gun or other weapon.

Simpson has told reporters that he was merely trying to get back some of his belongings.

Fromong said today on "GMA" that some of the memorabilia he was selling did belong to Simpson at one time. "But these were things that belonged to him a long time ago," he said.

Simpson told reporters that in addition to sports memorabilia, he was also looking for the suit he wore in court in 1995 — the day he was acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. Fromong said he didn't have the suit.

The Web site TMZ.com obtained an audiotape that it says is a recording of Simpson in the room during the burglary, saying, "Don't let nobody out of the room (expletive). Think you can steal my (expletive) and sell it?"

ABC News has not confirmed the authenticity of the recording.


Late Justice?
As Simpson was led in handcuffs into a Las Vegas jail Sunday, onlookers yelled, "Guilty!" and "No Johnny to save you this time, O.J.!"

Thirteen years after being charged with the murders of Brown Simpson and Goldman, Simpson was arrested Sunday on two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of burglary with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit burglary.

The Clark County district attorney told The Associated Press that he expected Simpson to be charged with seven felonies and one gross misdemeanor. If convicted of the charges, Simpson could face up to 30 years in state prison on each robbery count alone.

Police also arrested Walter Alexander, 46, of Arizona, and they are still looking for four other men who were allegedly involved. Police also recovered two guns allegedly used in the robbery at a sealed location.

Fromong said that while he is sure he saw Simpson enter the room, he was disappointed in the former football star's decision.

"It doesn't make me feel good, knowing that this is a man I called a friend," Fromong said.

Fred Goldman, the father of Ron Goldman, said he hopes that justice will be served in this case.

"I don't want to see any repeat of the celebrity game that was played during the criminal trial," said Goldman. "I'd like to think Ron has a smile on his face."




O.J. Simpson demands belongings back in profanity-laced tape
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/17/oj.simpson/

O.J. Simpson walked into a Las Vegas hotel room barking orders, hurling profanities and repeatedly accusing someone of stealing his things, according to a recording that a celebrity news Web site claims came from the incident.

Simpson, 60, was in an isolation cell at a Las Vegas jail Monday in connection with an alleged sports memorabilia heist.

He is scheduled to appear in court Monday at 7:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. ET) and is being held without bail on robbery, assault, burglary and conspiracy charges, according to police. Authorities had initially said he would make his first court appearance Thursday, but later changed it to Monday morning.

No reason was given for denying bail to the Hall of Fame running back.

Simpson is accused of leading an armed entourage into a hotel room at the Palace Station Hotel-Casino where they made off with several items of sports memorabilia Thursday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said.

An audio recording on TMZ.com portrays an angry Simpson ordering people to stay in the hotel room and questioning the audacity of the person he thinks stole from him.

"Don't let nobody out of this room," Simpson says to one person in the room before turning his ire on the person he believes took his things. "Mother [expletive], you think you can steal my [expletive] and sell it?"

He asks the latter question several times on the tape before one of the men in the room says, "Mike took it."

Simpson responds, "I know [expletive] Mike took it." A few seconds later, he tells one of the men, "I always thought you were a straight shooter." The man responds, "I'm cool. I am."


TMZ.com is partly owned by AOL, which is part of CNN's parent company, Time Warner.

Simpson says he was merely retrieving items that belonged to him, and that no guns were involved. But one of the victims, Bruce Fromong, describes the incident as a "home-invasion type robbery," and police say they've retrieved the guns that were used.

Fromong said Simpson walked in with several companions, two of whom leveled guns at the people in the room. The other victim, Alfred Beardsley, told TMZ.com that Simpson later called him to apologize and said he regretted the incident.

Auctioneer Thomas Riccio told KVVU-TV in Las Vegas on Friday that he informed Simpson that someone had called him about selling some of Simpson's belongings on consignment. Simpson told Riccio the items had been stolen, Riccio said.

Riccio, who TMZ.com says is the source of the profanity-laced recording, further told KVVU that Simpson entered the room while Riccio was being shown the items. Simpson did not break in, and there were no guns, Riccio said.

Las Vegas police Lt. Clint Nichols, however, says witness interviews undercut Simpson's story and police have retrieved two guns they say were used during the incident.

"We don't believe anybody was roughed up, but there were firearms involved in the commission of the robbery," Nichols said.

Also, Nichols said, it's debatable whether every item Simpson took from the hotel room belongs to him. Some of the items had Simpson's signature, Nichols said, but there were other things taken, including "some Joe Montana cleats and some signed baseballs and other stuff."

Simpson was booked Sunday evening on two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count each of armed burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary, Las Vegas police Capt. James Dillon said.

Simpson was being held in isolation at the Clark County jail because he is a high-profile inmate, Dillon said.

The robbery counts alone carry prison sentences of up to 30 years each. The other charges carry one- to six-year sentences.

A co-defendant, Walter Alexander, faces similar charges in an investigation Dillon has called "dynamic" and ongoing.

Police retrieved the weapons after the 46-year-old Alexander gave them information leading to three search warrants, Dillon said. Along with the guns, which Dillon says are the same firearms used by Simpson's entourage, police also found property that was reported stolen and clothes worn by the suspects.

Alexander returned to his home in Mesa, Arizona, Saturday night or Sunday morning after being released from jail on his own recognizance, Dillon said.

Simpson told CNN on Sunday that he didn't know why Alexander was arrested, but "the truth will come out."

The Heisman Trophy winner was arrested hours later at his room in the Palms Resort Hotel, where he was staying for a friend's wedding.

Sunday's charges come more than a dozen years after the 1994 stabbing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman.

Simpson was acquitted of murder in 1995. In 1997, a jury found him liable for their deaths in a civil case brought by the Goldman family. Simpson was ordered to pay the Brown and Goldman families $33.5 million.

Fromong, one of the victims in the alleged hotel heist, testified in the civil case that prices for Simpson collectibles had dropped substantially since the 1995 verdict. His testimony buttressed the defense contention that Simpson could not afford to pay the Browns and Goldmans.

Simpson recently wrote a book originally titled "If I Did It." He planned to publish it himself, but his book deal was canceled after a public outcry. A bankruptcy judge gave the book rights to the Goldmans.

The Goldmans renamed the book "If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer." It hit bookstores Thursday, the same day of the alleged memorabilia heist.




Simpson held in hotel-room heist
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-09-16-simpson_N.htm
O.J. Simpson remained in jail Monday in Las Vegas facing multiple felony charges following his arrest Sunday for the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia at a casino hotel.
The former football star, who was acquitted in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife and her male friend in a celebrated trial, was charged with storming into a hotel room at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on Thursday evening to take collectible items from his own sports career held by sports memorabilia dealers, police said.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Capt. James Dillon said Simpson was taken into custody without incident at 11 a.m. and was awaiting arrival of a lawyer. Simpson, 60, was being held without bail at the Clark County jail, according to Sgt. John Loretto.

He was charged with two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit burglary and burglary with a firearm, Dillon said.

A conviction on robbery with use of a deadly weapon could bring a sentence of three to 35 years, Clark County District Attorney David Roger said. Police said that another person had been arrested and that they were looking for four others.

Simpson, a Heisman Trophy winner and actor, lives near Miami and has been a tabloid staple since his ex-wife Nicole and friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994. Simpson was acquitted of charges he murdered the two.

Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, welcomed the possibility that Simpson could go to prison.

"How wonderful," he told CBS's "The Early Show" Monday. "A lot of years too late, however. I would have much preferred him found guilty of Ron and Nicole's death and then put either to death or in jail then. But frankly to see him ultimately or potentially go to jail — that's great."

Simpson's arrest came just days after the Goldman family published a book that Simpson had written under the title "If I Did It" about how he would have committed the killings of his ex-wife and Goldman had he actually done it.

After a deal for Simpson to publish it fell through, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the book's rights to the Goldman family, who retitled it "If I Did It: The Confessions of the Killer." During the weekend, the book was the hottest seller in the country, hitting No. 1 on Amazon.com.

Monday, celebrity news site TMZ.com published what it said was an audiotape of the allegedncident that led to Simpson's arrest.

"Think you can steal my (expletive) and sell it?," says a voice identified by TMZ as Simpson's.

The recording was made by Tom Riccio, co-owner of the auction house Universal Rarities, according to TMZ. Simpson has said Riccio called him several weeks ago to tell him collectors were selling some of his items.

Riccio did not immediately return a call for comment Monday, but he told TMZ he believed Simpson was planning to confront Alfred Beardsley, who was allegedly planning to auction off the memorabilia.

Another collector in the hotel room, Bruce Fromong, said the meeting was set up as if the men were customers, but when they arrived, it was clear something else was going on.

"The door burst open and they came in almost commando style, O.J. Simpson and some of his people, I guess you would call it, with guns drawn," Fromong told ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday. "O.J. at that time was saying, 'I want my stuff. I want my stuff.'

"The thing in my mind as soon as I saw him, I'm thinking, 'O.J., how can you be this dumb? You're in enough trouble.'"

Fromong said Simpson later left him a voice mail message telling him some of Fromong's things were "mixed up" with his and asking how he could give them back.

"It's like a bad dream," Beardsley said. "I'm sad that O.J. is in custody."

Before his arrest, Simpson told reporters that he and men he met at a wedding cocktail party went to the hotel to reclaim personal photos and football souvenirs.

"You've got to understand, this ain't somebody going to steal somebody's drugs or something like that. This is somebody going to get his private (belongings) back. That's not robbery," Simpson told the Los Angeles Times.

Police Lt. Clint Nichols said it was unclear whether Simpson owned the items.

"Whether or not the property belonged to Mr. Simpson is still in debate," Nichols said.

Simpson's lawyer said the witness statements could not be trusted. "Obviously we intend to fight these charges vigorously," Yale Galanter told the Associated Press late Sunday.

Riccio said in an interview with USA TODAY on Sunday that some time ago he learned someone was trying to auction goods that belonged to Simpson.

"There was something fishy about it," Riccio said.

He said he contacted the police and the FBI, "but they didn't care." So he called Simpson, and they came up with a plan to confront the sellers.

"The deal was we were supposed to meet with these people. O.J. was supposed to identify the stuff and give them the option of going to the police or giving it back," Riccio said. "Instead, people in his posse went nuts and at least one of them had a gun. … People in his posse went berserk."

Riccio told Fox News that Simpson was "very upset" when he entered the room.

The people with the items agreed to let Simpson collect them, which members in his party began to do, Riccio said. But then one of the members of Simpson's party wanted to take a picture related to former NFL quarterback Joe Montana "that wasn't O.J.'s," Riccio said.

"That's when I saw the gun come out," he said.

Police said two firearms and other evidence were seized at a private residence early Sunday.

Walter Alexander, 46, of Arizona, was arrested Saturday night in connection with the alleged robbery, Dillon said. The four men who were with Simpson were being sought, he said.

Robert Rentzer, lawyer for Alexander, said Alexander was arrested as he was trying to catch a plane to Los Angeles to meet with Rentzer.

"I haven't talked to my client yet," Rentzer said.

Simpson won college football's highest honor, the Heisman Trophy, while at the University of Southern California, and was a star as a running back in the National Football League. He became an actor after his football career, then was accused of a notorious crime: the slashing murder of his ex-wife and Goldman in 1994.

Simpson was acquitted, but another jury held him liable in a wrongful death civil lawsuit brought by the victims' families. He was ordered to pay more than $30 million in civil judgments but has paid little of it.

He supports himself with an NFL pension, which is protected from the judgment, and he lives in a Miami home that is also legally protected, said Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levinson. She said his pension provides him with "tens of thousands" of dollars a month.

"So he lives life on a golf course," she said.

Simpson has two children from his marriage to Brown: daughter Sydney, 21, and son Justin, 19.



Simpson Faces Charges in Robbery Case
http://news.aol.com/story/ar/_a/simpson-faces-charges-in-robbery-case/20070914101509990001
LAS VEGAS (Sept. 17) -- An apparent audiotape of O.J. Simpson 's standoff with men he accused of stealing his memorabilia begins with the ex-NFL star demanding, "Don't let nobody out of here."

Hear the Audio on TMZ.com: Alleged Simpson Confrontation

Warning: Offensive Language
"Think you can steal my s--- and sell it?" the voice identified as Simpson's said.

Simpson was arrested Sunday and booked on charges connected with what police described as a robbery at a Las Vegas hotel. In the audiotape released Monday by the celebrity news Web site TMZ.com, a man believed to be Simpson is heard shouting questions while other men yell orders to the people in the room.

The recording was made by Thomas Riccio, co-owner of the auction house Universal Rarities, according to TMZ. Simpson has said Riccio called him several weeks ago to tell him collectors were selling some of his items.

Riccio did not immediately return a call for comment Monday, but he told TMZ he believed Simpson was planning to confront Alfred Beardsley, who was allegedly planning to auction off the memorabilia.

Another collector in the hotel room, Bruce Fromong, said the meeting was set up as if the men were customers, but when they arrived, it was clear something else was going on.

"The door burst open and they came in almost commando style, O.J. Simpson and some of his people, I guess you would call it, with guns drawn," Fromong told ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday. "O.J. at that time was saying, 'I want my stuff. I want my stuff.'

"The thing in my mind as soon as I saw him, I'm thinking, 'O.J., how can you be this dumb? You're in enough trouble.'"

Fromong said Simpson later left him a voice mail message telling him some of Fromong's things were "mixed up" with his and asking how he could give them back.

"It's like a bad dream," Beardsley said. "I'm sad that O.J. is in custody."
Simpson has said he was accompanied by men he met at a wedding cocktail party, and that they took the collectibles.

It was merely a confrontation with no guns, Simpson said. He said autographed sports collectibles, his Hall of Fame certificate, a photograph with former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and video from his first wedding were all his, and that they were stolen from him and were about to be fenced by unethical collectors.

The items likely belonged to Simpson at one point, Fromong said, "but these were things that belonged to him a long time ago."

Police said they weren't sure who now owned the memorabilia.

"Whether or not the property belonged to Mr. Simpson or not is still in debate," Lt. Clint Nichols said Sunday. "Having said that, the manner in which this property was taken, we have a responsibility to look into that, irregardless of who the property belonged to."

After being whisked away in handcuffs, Simpson was booked Sunday night on two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and conspiracy to commit a crime and burglary with a firearm, police said.

The district attorney said he expected Simpson to ultimately be charged with seven felonies and one gross misdemeanor. If convicted, Simpson could face up to 30 years in prison on each robbery count.
A judge ordered Simpson held without bail. Las Vegas court information officer Michael Sommermeyer said Simpson's arraignment was set for Wednesday, with a bail hearing to be held after that.

Simpson attorney Yale Galanter said Monday he hoped to get Simpson released before then.

"Mr. Simpson is not guilty of these charges," Galanter said. He declined to say whether he had met with police and prosecutors.

"We believe it is an extremely defensible case based on conflicting witness statements, flip-flopping by witnesses and witnesses making deals with the government to flip," Galanter said Sunday.

Beardsley blamed the incident on Riccio, who he claims told Simpson that his property was in the room in Las Vegas.

"If they don't charge Riccio I will be very upset. That guy lied to O.J. and got him all pumped up," he said.

Simpson, 60, told the AP that he didn't call the police to help reclaim the items because he has found the police unresponsive to him ever since his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994. Simpson was acquitted of murder charges but found liable in a wrongful death civil trial.

"The police, since my trouble, have not worked out for me," Simpson said.

Police said they had no information to indicate Simpson was armed during the hotel confrontation last week. Fromong also said Simpson was unarmed: "Never at any time was I ever, did I feel threatened by O.J.," he said.

Police seized two firearms believed to involved in the robbery along with sports memorabilia, mostly signed by Simpson. They also said they recovered collectible baseballs and Joe Montana cleats at private residences early Sunday after serving three search warrants.

Walter Alexander, 46, of Mesa, Ariz., was arrested Saturday night on two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary with a deadly weapon. Alexander, who was described as one of Simpson's golfing buddies, was released without bail Saturday night.

Robert Dennis Rentzer, a Los Angeles lawyer representing Alexander, said he was able to arrange his client's release but wasn't familiar with the allegations.

Police are seeking four other men: Las Vegas residents Clarence Stewart, 53, and Michael McClinton, 49; Tom Scotto, of unknown age and hometown, and another man who was not identified.

Simpson, a Heisman Trophy winner and actor, lives near Miami and has been a tabloid staple since his ex-wife and Goldman were killed.

Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, welcomed the possibility that Simpson could go to prison.

"How wonderful," he told CBS's "The Early Show" Monday. "A lot of years too late, however. I would have much preferred him found guilty of Ron and Nicole's death and then put either to death or in jail then. But frankly to see him ultimately or potentially go to jail _ that's great."

Simpson's arrest came just days after the Goldman family published a book that Simpson had written under the title "If I Did It" about how he would have committed the killings of his ex-wife and Goldman had he actually done it.

After a deal for Simpson to publish it fell through, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the book's rights to the Goldman family, who retitled it "If I Did It: The Confessions of the Killer." During the weekend, the book was the hottest seller in the country, hitting No. 1 on Amazon.com.

OJ SIMPSON ARREST - RAW MEDIA