LAS VEGAS - Investigators questioned O.J. Simpson and named him a suspect Friday in a break-in at a casino hotel room involving sports memorabilia.
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The break-in was reported at the Palace Station casino late Thursday night, police spokesman Jose Montoya said. He said investigators determined the break-in involved sports collectibles.
"When they talked to him, Simpson made the comment that he believed the memorabilia was his," Montoya said. "We're getting conflicting stories from the two sides."
Simpson was released after he and several associates were questioned, but he is considered a suspect in the case, Montoya said. He is believed to be in Las Vegas.
"We don't believe he's going anywhere," he said. "And, if he does, we can outrun a Bronco."
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 to the Goldman family.
On Thursday, the Goldman family published a book about the killings that Simpson had written under the title, "If I Did It." After a deal for Simpson to publish it fell through, the family bought the rights and retitled the book "If I Did It: The Confessions of a Killer."
Investigators in the casino case planned to give their report to prosecutors Friday, Montoya said. The district attorney's office will decide whether to pursue charges.
Simpson had been scheduled to give a deposition Friday in Miami in a bankruptcy case involving his eldest daughter. But it was rescheduled because Simpson had told attorneys that he would be out of town.
Patricia Jones, a woman at the Florida office of Simpson attorney Yale L. Galanter who identified herself as Galanter's associate, said Galanter was out of town and had been forwarded messages seeking comment.
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.
"See?" said the family of Ron Goldman in an official statement, "the guy's a fucking menace!"
The ghost of Johnny Cochran commented, "If the protective cup does not fit, you must acquit!"
LAS VEGAS - Investigators questioned O.J. Simpson and named him a suspect Friday in a break-in at a casino hotel room involving sports memorabilia.
The break-in was reported at the Palace Station casino late Thursday night, police spokesman Jose Montoya said. He said investigators determined the break-in involved sports collectibles.
"When they talked to him, Simpson made the comment that he believed the memorabilia was his," Montoya said. "We're getting conflicting stories from the two sides."
I never even talked to them.
BUT, if I DID, I was shit-faced and tired from carrying all of that sports memorabilia.
On Thursday, the Goldman family published a book about the killings that Simpson had written under the title, "If I Did It." After a deal for Simpson to publish it fell through, the family bought the rights and retitled the book "If I Did It: The Confessions of a Killer."
I didn't actually ever sell them the rights to the book.
BUT if I DID, I made a shit-load of money that I then had to pay right back to the Goldman family.
Man, that was shit stupid of me. If I had done it. But I didn't.
If it was your memorabilia why were you stealing it, jackass?
Why would you need to break in?
You are the dumbest fuck alive. I hope you suck Cochrane's rotting cock everyday to thank him. He's the only reason your sphincter hasn't fallen out from all the prison ass sex you SHOULD be getting on a daily basis, you fuck.
NO HANDLEBARS HAN SHOT. FIRST! PERIOD. NO HANDLEBARS MORE COWBELL! NO HANDLEBARS GO FUCK YOURSELF™
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.
Simpson was arrested shortly after 11 a.m., Capt. James Dillon said.
The charges against Simpson will include robbery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary with a firearm, all felonies, Dillon said. More charges could be brought against him, he said.
Simpson was being held at Las Vegas police offices pending the arrival of his lawyer, who was expected later Sunday, Dillon said.
"He was very cooperative, there were no issues," Dillon said.
At least one other person has been arrested and police said Sunday that as many as six people could be arrested in connection with the alleged armed robbery that occurred in a room inside the Palace Station casino-hotel on Thursday.
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 if OJ is willing to help me 'take care' of my wife."
Continuing our continuing story, it appears that the Eteranl Pawan murder case may not be the only conspiracy.
As O.J. Simpson awaits his bail hearing Wednesday morning, another suspect in the investigation now claims Simpson was set up. Walter Alexander, one of the men accused in the armed robbery, says this was all a plot against O.J.
As News 3's Collette Wieland tells us, the witness believes this was an elaborate sting operation to put the former football star behind bars. "Yeah, an elaborate conspiracy against the American people. That's the ticket," O.J. agreed.
"I believe he was set up. I believe the whole thing was a setup," Simpson's co-defendant Walter Alexander said. Alexander, one of the men arrested with O.J. Simpson for alleged armed robbery, says the former football star was framed. "It does not make sense. Why would Chewbacca live on Endor?"
"It's very obvious that Thomas Riccio had intentions to set O.J. up and that's what happened, you know," Alexander said. Alexander says Simpson was tricked by an auctioneer who not only arranged the meeting between Simpson and the alleged robbery victims, but also recorded everything on tape.
Thomas Riccio is the auctioneer who claims he tipped off Simpson about the men who were trying to sell sports memorabilia; items that Simpson tells police belong to him.
When questioned by Larry King, one of the alleged victims could not explain where those items actually came from.
"I didn't buy them," alleged robbery victim Alfred Beardsley insists. "You know, there's a lot of controversy going on about who is the owner of these items right now. The best thing I could say is I'd rather let a judge decide who is the rightful owner of these items."
The sister of Ron Goldman, the man Simpson was accused of murdering more than a decade ago, says she was kind of happy to hear of O.J.s latest troubles.
"I think karma tapped him on the shoulder and I think he has believed he is above the law and that he dances to a different beat, and that he doesn't have to live by the same set of rules," Kim Goldman told CNN. "I hope that if in fact he did do this, he is held accountable for it."
Among the items Simpson says he was taking back:
A Hall of Fame certificate
A photograph with J. Edgar Hoover
Some family photos
A wedding video from his first marriage
Joe Montana cleats.
The Nordberg prop stretcher from Naked Gun
Ron Jeremy's cock ring.
An unwashed pair of panties from that chick in Chris Issac's "Wicked Game" video
and one of Tie Domi's teeth he lost in a fight in 1992
The family of Ron Goldman has filed a request for ownership of the sports memorabilia that was seized following the alleged armed robbery. They have been trying to obtain some of Simpson's belongings as part of a civil lawsuit they won. O.J. was overheard saying, "If I knew the Goldmans were going to be this big of a pain, I would have taken them out, too."
