FBI Knew About O.J. Plan In Advance

AP: Feds Were Told 3 Weeks Ahead Of Time

(AP)  Federal agents learned three weeks in advance that O.J. Simpson and a memorabilia dealer planned an operation to retrieve personal items Simpson said were stolen from him, according to FBI reports obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

Dealer Thomas Riccio told FBI agents Aug. 21 that Simpson wanted to televise the operation as he confronted a collector who was peddling thousands of pieces of Simpson's memorabilia.

But Riccio was not clear how the operation would unfold, and there was no mention in the report of guns that were allegedly drawn as Simpson and five other men stormed a Las Vegas hotel room.

Riccio was advised to contact a lawyer before taking any action and was told that alerting the FBI would not absolve him of any potential crime, agent Linda Kline wrote of the meeting, which occurred in Los Angeles.

"I went along with O.J.'s plan," Riccio told the AP on Friday. "It was a self-organized sting operation. Except for the final result, with him bringing people who had guns. I knew nothing about that."

Simpson, 60, and five other men were arrested after they allegedly stormed into a Las Vegas hotel room Sept. 13 to seize items that were believed to include family photos and the suit Simpson wore the day he was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend.

Las Vegas Police Detective Andy Caldwell, the investigator handling the case, said Friday the FBI did not alert his department before the confrontation between Simpson and collectors Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong in a room at a Las Vegas casino hotel.

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Photos: O.J. Busted In Vegas

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They contacted us afterward and provided us with the documentation," Caldwell told the AP.

He said he had no information about any FBI investigation into the incident and said he has no idea about the nature of the contact between federal agents and Riccio "or why they were talking with him."

Riccio told the AP on Friday that he called Los Angeles police and the FBI and "no one seemed to be concerned about it. They didn't seem all that interested."

"Mr. Riccio did not provide information to the FBI indicating criminal activity was planned, nor specificity with regard to when and where the planned confrontation would occur," FBI spokesman Laura Eimiller said in a statement.

Simpson, 60, is charged with an assortment of felonies including armed robbery and kidnapping. Three of his co-defendants have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges and said they would testify against Simpson. A preliminary hearing is scheduled next week in Las Vegas.

The FBI reports, written Aug. 21 and Sept. 19, said Riccio told agents he had been approached by Beardsley, who wanted to sell thousands of Simpson items.

The documents said Riccio described Beardsley as a fanatic and said Riccio contacted Simpson about the items. Simpson said his belongings were stolen from his Florida house by his former agent, Mike Gilbert, and others who had worked for him.

"Riccio and Simpson want to do a television broadcast confronting Beardsley regarding the items that were stolen," one report said. "Simpson wanted Riccio's assistance in setting up the operation and helping obtain interviews for Simpson through various media outlets after the fact."

Beardsley told police he had been robbed by Simpson and a group of men wielding guns. Simpson has denied there were any guns involved. He said Riccio set up the meeting and he planned to surprise Beardsley and retrieve his property.

Simpson told the AP he went to the hotel room after being alerted by Riccio that Beardsley and another collectibles dealer, Fromong, were trying to sell his possessions. Simpson knew both dealers.

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

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

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

"There was no armed robbery here," Simpson said then. "It wasn't a robbery. They said `Take your stuff and go."'

Riccio has said the plan to take Simpson's property unraveled because he brought other men with him. He has subsequently released a tape recording he made of the incident and been granted immunity by prosecutors.

Many of his sports collectibles, including his Heisman Trophy, were seized under court order and auctioned to pay some of the $33.5 million awarded in a wrongful death lawsuit to the estate of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and the family of her friend Ronald Goldman.

[nirak2-2009]

Sounds like a set up to me.
I would not be surprised if someone close to the FBI put it into Simpsons head and he was stupid enough to go along.

[kevzgrl]

I loathe OJ and the fact that he got off with two murders, but God will hold him accountable for those when he dies - this, however, reeks of set-up, so some police force can say "Hey, WE got him for something"
The FBI is a farce, and the fact that they knew about this, and OJ''s "friend" Mr. Riccio reported it and set it all up and taped it - well, he is just about as slimy as pond scum can get.
When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas, Mr. Simpson. Might want to choose your "friends" more carefully next time.....

[mcvett]

As much as I believe that O.J. was guilty and got away with murder.

this is obviously a set-up.

xoxoxo

[starleo146]

Instead of O J trying to get his stuff back and to notify of the sting to do it, They did a sting to get O J He may be guilty but was found innocent that has led to a vendetta to get him and put him away to make up for the innocent verdict. Justice this is Justice if they think you are guilty forget the court verdict.

[borismrm]

Wait a minute!!! Let''s be reasonable here? When a white person do a crime against a black person it''s okay. But when a black person commits crime against a white, that''s when we see all these negative post and we want to see them rot in jail. Can''t have it both ways! I am not a O.J. fan, but I think fair is fair. The majority of white folks would love to see him rot in jail. I think you should review our own history against black folks and then you decide!

[borismrm]

It''s about time the "white man busted one of their own."

[cryonbrian]

Whether OJ is innocent or not makes no difference! He was tried and set free, what I think does not matter! We must go by the judgement! As for this latest fiasco, it has got old fast!

[tnt1954]

how did the f.b.i. really know? not riccio.
they have the ability to travel through time.
all agents are required to show proficiency
in time travel at quantico, virginia before
being assigned into the field. some agents
are assigned to 300 b.c. to guard the future.
this is why more agents are needed, so much
time to protect.

[susanhelit]

Yeah, ''stolen'' - as in part of the judgement against him for killing his wife? The stuff he hid?

They told the FBI, the FBI gave them the right advice - talk to a lawyer, and telling us doesn''t make it legal, nor are we endorsing it. Nor were the guns mentioned, which turned a robbery into a gun crime and kidnapping.

[edward1975-2009]

O.J. is the consumate idiot. This is just another instance in a list of stupid things he has involved himself in since his L.A. murder trial. He should be taken off the street, just to protect himself from himself. He needs professional help! And if you really believe that the FBI knows anything in advance other then quitting time, you need to remove the blinders and face reality.

[hawksprings]

The FBI knew in advance??
Heck, the FBI planned it and framed OJ.
Always trying to take the black man down.

[wegraham]

It was his stuff, man......If the police won''t get it back for him, then who would? - Give me a break! I have had stuff stolen from me my whole life, so I know exactly where he''s coming from.....Just because he got off from the murder charge, does that give everyone the right to c*** on him for the rest of his life? If the stupid system is broke, well, that''s not OJ''s fault......He didn''t design it.

[kansas1946]

God Bless the America I used to know, until liberals lawyers got their hands on it.
*******************
Uh, those "liberal" lawyers are the ones that got OJ off. Prosecutors are not notoriously "liberal."

[slipster01]

Oh yeah, a setup if I ever saw one. Just like when the police tried to set up OJ for murder, then got caught planting evidence.

Amazing, isn''t it, that only here in America can a man be found innocent in a criminal case, and yet gets found guilty in a civil case BASED ON THE SAME OFFENSE!

God Bless the America I used to know, until liberals lawyers got their hands on it.

[slipster01]

Oh yeah, a setup if I ever saw one. Just like when the police tried to set up OJ for murder, then got caught planting evidence.

Amazing, isn''t it, that only here in America can a man be found innocent in a criminal case, and yet gets found guilty in a civil case BASED ON THE SAME OFFENSE!

God Bless the America I used to know, until liberals lawyers got their hands on it.

[slipster01]

Oh yeah, a setup if I ever saw one. Just like when the police tried to set up OJ for murder, then got caught planting evidence.

Amazing, isn''t it, that only here in America can a man be found innocent in a criminal case, and yet gets found guilty in a civil case BASED ON THE SAME OFFENSE!

God Bless the America I used to know, until liberals lawyers got their hands on it.

[slipster01]

Oh yeah, a setup if I ever saw one. Just like when the police tried to set up OJ for murder, then got caught planting evidence.

Amazing, isn''t it, that only here in America can a man be found innocent in a criminal case, and yet gets found guilty in a civil case BASED ON THE SAME OFFENSE!

God Bless the America I used to know, until liberals lawyers got their hands on it.

[slipster01]

Oh yeah, a setup if I ever saw one. Just like when the police tried to set up OJ for murder, then got caught planting evidence.

Amazing, isn''t it, that only here in America can a man be found innocent in a criminal case, and yet gets found guilty in a civil case BASED ON THE SAME OFFENSE!

God Bless the America I used to know, until liberals lawyers got their hands on it.

[jerr11]

Sounds like this was a Chris Hansen job!

LOL

[scottyusa]

Sounds fishy to me. Sounds too much like a set up. Believe me I have no love for Simpson but why did the FBI let it happen? Someone could have gotten killed. They would rather take that chance than not be able to nail Simpson? I think Riccio set him up and the FBI went along with it by their inaction.