The former football star is in jail after a bizarre Las Vegas incident, says
charles laurence |
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OJ Simpson, the American football star who was cleared of murder in 1995, has been arrested in Las Vegas and faces charges of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and burglary with a firearm.
He was arrested at the Palms Resort Casino on Sunday morning and taken to a Las Vegas police station for questioning in a bizarre story of sports memorabilia, an auction house and guns.
Simpson, who was acquitted in criminal court of the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman but then found liable in a civil case, is once again denying all.
He says he went to the hotel room where the alleged robbery took place on Thursday night to recover memorabilia that was his property. Items included a signed Hall of Fame certificate and a photograph of Simpson with former FBI director J Edgar Hoover.
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Simpson told reporters that
he had gone to Fromong’s room after he was told his property was there |
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However, the alleged victim, Bruce Fromong, claims that a group of as many as six men burst into his room and took the memorabilia, and that guns were pulled. He also claimed that he was the 'rightful owner' of the property, and had been a 'manager of Simpson collectibles'.
On Saturday, police arrested Walter Alexander, an OJ 'associate' who went with him to the room, and recovered two guns.
Before his arrest, Simpson, who was in Las Vegas to attend a wedding, told reporters that he had gone to Fromong's room after he was told by the owner of an auction house specialising in sports memorabilia that his property was there. "The truth will come out," he said.
The auction house owner, Thomas Riccio, claims that he was acting as a mediator. "OJ came in, did not break in, trying to get his stuff back," he said. "He did not have any gun with him. He and his people confiscated the stuff."
Simpson is being held without bail until a court hearing on Thursday. 
FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 17, 2007
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OJ Simpson back in handcuffs
