O.J. Heist Items To Be Used As Restitution

Judge Says Memorabilia Will Be Sold To Pay Victim And Satisfy 1995 Wrongful Death Judgment

(CBS/AP)  The Nevada judge who sentenced O.J. Simpson to prison says most of the sports memorabilia seized by authorities after a hotel room armed robbery in Las Vegas will go to Los Angeles.

Once there, it'll be sold by the sheriff to satisfy a wrongful death judgment the families of slaying victims Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson won against Simpson in 1995.

Judge Jackie Glass also ruled Friday that Simpson, co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart and the four men who testified against them have to pay a combined $3,560 in restitution to collectibles dealer Bruce Fromong.

That'll pay about $2,600 in medical bills Fromong claimed after he was pushed into a chair while being robbed at gunpoint Sept. 13, 2007, in a Las Vegas casino hotel room.

Fromong, who lives in North Las Vegas, says he his outraged with the decision, reports CBS affiliate KLAS. Fromong says he feels he has now been victimized a second time and is out between $75,000 and $100,000 dollars in memorabilia.

[susanhelit]

I do feel sorry for Fromong. He had stuff that had no relationship to OJ stolen - Joe Montana lithographs, and other memorabilia. And he''s permanently injured from the assault, with a shoulder they cannot fix because his heart couldn''t stand the surgery.

He was OK, IMO, with keeping stuff from the Goldman family - which I don''t like - but he still got worse than he deserved here.

[susanhelit]

Although, with Fromong''s statement about helping OJ set up offshore accounts to hide money - it is ironic that he''ll now be on the other side of the table, attempting to collect a judgement from OJ. He should ask the Goldman''s attorney for advice.

[airboatboy1]

I wonder if he needs any Preparation H yet?

[caligula1--2008]

Then they''re admitting all along that all OJ did was attempt to retrieve stolen property that was his.

Golly, I wonder if John Q. would have been prosecuted in a similar situation, trying to recover items from thieves that stole from him. Particularly given the easy off that the government "witnesses" (who were apparently the only ones insisting firearms were present) got from the prosecutor and judge.

I hate to say it, because I think OJ was probably guilty as hell in the LA murder, but I think he got royally screwed on this one, as well as that idiotic civil action by Goldmans parents, given that the case is still technically unsolved. What does OJ get if they later find out that the target was Goldman all along, and that his ex-wife was just in the way.

[highlander60]

OJ got the book thrown at him. All he wanted was what was rightfully his in the first place! Alot of people liked what they threw at him. And of course his previous case had ALOT to do with it. I say go after the financial corporate american crooks, we are getting sooo sold out here! It never cease to amaze me how blatantly obvious the crime is yet they sure don''t do much to them, if anything.

[terrapin78]

OJ got the book thrown at him. All he wanted was what was rightfully his in the first place! Alot of people liked what they threw at him. And of course his previous case had ALOT to do with it. I say go after the financial corporate american crooks, we are getting sooo sold out here! It never cease to amaze me how blatantly obvious the crime is yet they sure don''''t do much to them, if anything.

Posted by highlander60 at 05:08 PM : Dec 19, 2008

I agree.

Why are any of the people that were involved with fleecing the mortgage industry still walking around and why have their assets not been seized? I believe these people have all those ill-gotten gains. Every penny in these families should be confiscated for restitution.

[random_radar]

If it is a crime for OJ to steal from Fromong, why is it okay for the government to steal from Fromong?

This just illustrates that we live in an outright tyranny run by criminals under color of authority.

[nodick4u]

Where as I do understand there are other variables in this and the previous case...I can''t help but wonder is this man as DEVIOUS as we portray him to be and can we prove it beyond a reasonable doubt..? Some of these questions have already been answered !The civil trial forced this man to deal with undesirables ( I know it was his choice). WE RUINED A MAN BECAUSE WE THINK HE''S GUILTY ! I''ve changed my opinion since yhe murders...!

[renonv5]

his stuff should be worth nothing.
Posted by kevinkkloste

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I totally agree. He has made a shambles of his life and I wouldn''t give a plug nickel for any of his so-called "memorabilia".

[klewt]

demswin08 Did you watch the trial? The judge made it clear that NO MATTER who "owned" the property, you don''t get to break into someones hotel room, brandish guns, and take it! That is armed robbery. Period!

[fiteit1]

Fromong, who lives in North Las Vegas, says he his outraged with the decision

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If it is a crime for OJ to steal from Fromong, why is it okay for the government to steal from Fromong?

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Fromong stole it from O.J. who wasn''t suppose to have it and then tried to steal it back from Fromong. Since it was O.J.''s and not Fromong''s it belongs to Goldman and Nicole%u2019s family. But I believe all of it should go to the family and let O.J. and clan come up with the money to pay back the government.

[ajmarine111]

But I believe all of it should go to the family and let O.J. and clan come up with the money to pay back the government.


Posted by fiteit1 at 07:31 PM : Dec 19, 2008




The Goldmens would want OJ to sell these things, that he wanted to hid from them, and give them the money.

[erasmus606]

I guess we won''t see that smirk on old O.J.''s face anymore, eh?

[lmartink]

I think they should release the Juice into the general prison population instead of coddling his worthless carcass. First they would have their way with him, and then they would appoint him as their chief gangbanger. Finally. The role he truly deserves.

[susanhelit]

First - you can''t do an armed robbery to retrieve your own stolen stuff. Vigilante justice is not allowed - try it anywhere.

Second - as the court just ruled, the stuff wasn''t OJ''s - it belonged to the Goldman family. OJ is the thief, in this case - he took stuff he knew or suspected was about to be picked up, and gave it to others. That all came out in trial - he gave this stuff away - and then got mad that his ''buddies'' who were hiding this property from a legal judgement didn''t find ways to secret it back to him. The stuff was not OJ''s. He had it, lost it in a court case, gave it away to some buddies - it belonged to them or the Goldman family - not OJ. You don''t get to give stuff away, then demand it back at gunpoint.

[susanhelit]

Fromong stole nothing. Nothing at all.

He''s a memorabilia dealer. He got contacted by someone who said he had stuff to sell, and he bought it. He had no way of knowing if the stuff he bought was stolen - and there''s plenty of testimony from the guy he got it from that it wasn''t.

[gonesouthern]

I guess we won''''t see that smirk on old O.J.''''s face anymore, eh?

Posted by erasmus606 at 07:57 PM : Dec 19, 2008
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Pay back is a real ***.
Its just sad it took so long for "The Juice" to pay.
If as they say this was just about what he did in Nevada then why not treat him just like any other thug who did the crime and toss his *** in general population just like any one else would be.
He is a big time football has been so he can protect his assets so to speak.

[summarex]

You''re right.
I wish they would start treating this thing as a civil rights issue already. This guy is obviously being singled out.

Also, that judge should be charged with some sort of misconduct. From day one, she has unashamedly embarked on a one woman campaign of retaliartion for her co-religionists the Goldfingers.



Then they''''re admitting all along that all OJ did was attempt to retrieve stolen property that was his.

Golly, I wonder if John Q. would have been prosecuted in a similar situation, trying to recover items from thieves that stole from him. Particularly given the easy off that the government "witnesses" (who were apparently the only ones insisting firearms were present) got from the prosecutor and judge.

[hennighg]

Well, I suppose. But then, the idiot let himself get into that situation. If instead of looking after his self worth he had actually tried to find the real killers, he might not be in this situation. I''m sorry. The justice system has taken a lot of knocks, even from people like that fat conservative guy on the radio, but justice, well it was served. After all.

[bobgee_1999]

"Fromong says he feels he has now been victimized a second time..."

Good. Fromong is an opportunistic scumbag.

[trapbreaking]

I see in todays Las Vegas Sun news that O.J. is being moved to Lovelock Prison in northern Navada, a medium security prison. A 7x9 cell already cluttered with a toilet, a bed, a sink and a writing shelf is not the place to try to swing a driver, or even a sand wedge. Looks like his golf game is going to suffer.

[trapbreaking]

I see in todays Las Vegas Sun news that O.J. is being moved to Lovelock Prison in northern Navada, a medium security prison. A 7x9 cell already cluttered with a toilet, a bed, a sink and a writing shelf is not the place to try to swing a driver, or even a sand wedge. Looks like his golf game is going to suffer.

[ajayvee]

Lots of hate shown here and elsewhere for Judge Glass and the Goldmans. May I remind the writers of one of Bibi Netanyahu''s famous sayings: "We don''t care if they love us or hate us, as long as they fear us." Last pound of flesh, Fred, there''s no more.

[peacedreamer-2009]

What a bad decision on the judge''s part. Lawfully purchased items belong to the person who purchased them. I feel very sad for the murder victim''s families, but stealing from one OJ victim to pay a claim by another is not justice. I''m sure this ruling will be reversed by on appeal.

[READY FLOW]

Then they''''''''re admitting all along that all OJ did was attempt to retrieve stolen property that was his.

Golly, I wonder if John Q. would have been prosecuted in a similar situation, trying to recover items from thieves that stole from him. Particularly given the easy off that the government "witnesses" (who were apparently the only ones insisting firearms were present) got from the prosecutor and judge.



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Posted by summarex at 11:28 PM : Dec 19, 2008

*************************************************************** It is not that the items were or were not OJ''s but the way that He went in guns and all and held the people in the room there for a short length of time that sent OJ to jail. There are ways to get Your property back that won''t get you sent to prison. OJ didn''t take them in to consideration which shows that He is the Thug that made his own bed now he is going to have to lay in it. His problem was that He got away with things so long that He thought that He was above the law. I bet He is starting to see that He isn''t now though.

[brianbwb-2009]

If Mr. Simpson can prove that he was the legal owner of the items at the time of the confrontation, the whole case gets tossed, and the judge could be censured for pursuing a personal agenda against Mr. Simpson, and if Fromong cannot prove that he came into possession of the items legally, he could be tried for possession of stolen property rising to a felony, based on the appraised value of the items.

So the questions that has not been publicly answered is who was the actual owner of the items, and if the owner was Mr. Simpson, how did others come into possesion of them?

[Scooter68]

Funny how some of you folks think that if you find property that was stolen from you, YOU have the right to go and take it back at gunpoint. Once again vigilante behavior rears its ugly head.
Doesn''t matter if the stuff was stolen or not, OJ and his buds didn''t have the right to go in there waving guns and threatening anybody over the stuff. He probably didn''t want to involve the police because that would have brought up the point of his selling it after the wrongful death conviction and having to give up the proceeds OR if it was stolen property, it still would have been taken to settle the law suit. Tough break for Fromong but when you play with the big boys you better be ready to get burned now and then. Likely as not the items were a mix of stolen and legit possesion memoribilia.

No problem with OJs trial and conviction and no problem with the seizure of the items if they were really supposed to have been part of the wrongful death lawsuit settlement.

[downsteamjim]

Obama should appoint OJ to head the National Gallery of Art.

Wow O.J. they finally got you on some bull$hit!!!! Wow boy you should have just went in a dark hole and hid after you beat your first case. You should have known that these people aint playing that when you kill one of their own!!!!! O.J. didnt you know that they wasnt going to stop until you paid for your first case? Didnt you know that O.J. didnt you know that, well they got you just like they said they would, now you have to pay the price, you should have laid low O.J. when you do something and get away with lay low!!!!!!!

[incog-nito]

Now that he''s be spending a long time behind bars, the fate of the collectibles should be the last of O.J.''s concerns.

[petro49l]

The Court Psychiatrist should testify that O.J. is paranoid schizophrenic. The Judge must order serious mental health treatment. When O.J. killed Ron and Nicole, he probably was hearing voices, hallucinating, and delusional. A head scan could prove the existence of brain damage. If the Judge takes this course of action, Fred Goldman will be free to act as the Victim''s family. The decision by the original Simpson Jury would be effectively vacated.

[susanhelit]

How the items left OJ''s posession originally has indeed been publicly answered. It''s not relevant to this case really, because you aren''t allowed to go in and commit armed robbery, no matter how much you think things belong to you - but the question was answered.

According to the case record, some years back OJ gets a heads up that the sheriff is coming to confiscate things that now belong to the Goldman family according to the civil judgement. OJ calls up some buddies of his, and has them strip his mansion of everything he can, tells them he''d rather they had it (and he owed some of them money, and it was common practice that he''d pay in memorabilia) than the Goldmans. That''s how he gave it away. Then one of those guys, all these years later, sells the stuff to Fromong and Beardsley. And there we go. Fromong had no reason to think the stuff stolen. And OJ gave it away when he knew it no longer belonged to him. So it was not, in any way, OJ''s own posessions.

[ajayvee]

Go ahead and appeal, OJ, except that as luck would have it you will probably end up before a Wiseman or a Shapiro or a Silverstein judge in the NAC.

[annette3332]

you know this whole make me sick. what Im now hearing the property that was apparently stolen form Oj in the face place. I believe he had the right to get it back but not way he went about it. Im getting sick and tired hearing about the Goldmans and trying to gett every penny from Oj. And Yet I dont hear about he brown family doing that. they lost someone too. and so did sidney and justin they lost the moher and now the father who behing bar. what about them? TRhey have to hear all this garbage.And the Goldman need to realize they are not the only one who lost a loved one.

[ajayvee]

annette3332 wrote: And the Goldman need to realize they are not the only one who lost a loved one.
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Annette, I believe it is bad form to equate the pain suffered by a Goldman with the pain suffered by any other human being in the history of mankind.

[karenlewis3]

FREE OJ!!!!!! www.theseriouspolice.com

[clem641]

well guess oj wont be running out to the golf course anytime soon good job oj should stayed ur butt at home with kids instead u had money to fly to az for such *** what about themoney you use for airline tickets should of went to the goldmans family tough life buddy now do ur time an when u get out i have some ensure products for ya

[collis12]

OJ should have went to the county jail and volunteered to be locked up. He knew that those folks were not going to rest until they put him in jail, and he gave them the perfect opportunity. How stupid could he be?

[annette3332]

again I say its about the Goldman they are tgetting the money from these possession what about the brown family. They lost someone too.

[roghil]

What a bad decision on the judge''''s part. Lawfully purchased items belong to the person who purchased them. I feel very sad for the murder victim''''s families, but stealing from one OJ victim to pay a claim by another is not justice. I''''m sure this ruling will be reversed by on appeal.


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Posted by peacedreamer at 08:40 AM : Dec 20, 2008

Not if they were stolen before they were legally purchased by someone. The original owner get it back, and possession of stolen goods charges are possible against whoeve had them.

[observer2020]

clem641 and annette3332: Whatever happens to OJ is well deserved! If the items were actually stolen, why not call the police and let them handle it instead of attempting to steal them back? Stolen property is stolen property--end of story and it will land you in jail. If I were the Browns, I would let Goldman spend a tremendous amount of time (which totally stresses him out) and money and sit back and reap the material rewards. Nothing can bring back their daughter and son but if spending every waking moment on how to get back at OJ, let him. That''s his outlet to OJ''s terrible crime. OJ''s kids are now grown and hate their father and are also convinced that their father killed their mother. It''s all on the wheel...just nice to see it come full circle.