LAS VEGAS - O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday and faces multiple felony charges in an alleged armed robbery of collectors involving the former football greats 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. Simpson was being held at Las Vegas police offices pending the arrival of his lawyer, who was expected later Sunday. 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. 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. Police recovered some clothing that the individual was wearing in the commission of the robbery.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. 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 Simpsons 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 is on O.J.'s side. Mr Simpson was tried and acquitted in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman on 12 June 1994. Mr Simpson was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial and ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages ,the money that has never been collected. In July, the rights to Mr Simpsons book If I Did It were awarded to Mr Goldmans family to help cover the judgement. The book, in which Mr Simpson describes how he would have killed his ex-wife and her friend, was published in the US on Thursday by Beaufort Books. The publication followed months of legal wrangling after Rupert Murdochs companies cancelled plans to publish the book following a public outcry last year.
District Attorney David Roger said O.J. Simpson was likely to face seven felony counts and one gross-misdemeanor count in connection with an alleged robbery in Las Vegas. The counts carry a maximum total of more than 100 years in prison. The prospective charges and possible punishments: —Conspiracy to commit robbery, a felony, one to six years in state prison. —Burglary with the use a deadly weapon, a felony, two to 15 years in state prison. —Assault with a deadly weapon, two counts, felonies, one to six years in state prison on each count. —Coercion with a deadly weapon, a felony, two to 12 years in state prison. —Robbery with the use of a deadly weapon, two counts, a felony, two to 15 years in state prison on each count plus an enhancement of up to 15 years on each count for use of a firearm. —Conspiracy to commit a crime, a gross misdemeanor, up to one year in county jail. A Las Vegas defense lawyer, Tom Pitaro, said it was highly unlikely Simpson would face the maximum sentence if convicted. O.J. Simpsons bail has been set at $78,000.
The breakdown is as follows:
1) $10,000 for each count of assault with a deadly weapon
2) $20,000 for each count of robbery with a deadly weapon
3) $15,000 for the one count of burglary with the use of a deadly weapon
4) $3,000 for the conspiracy to commit robbery with a deadly weapon count
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