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Will O.J. Simpson escape jail again?
O.J. Simpson accuser jailed over alleged threats
Story Highlights
NEW: Memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley held on parole violation
Beardsley is at center of O.J. Simpson robbery case
Threats allegedly included boiling Thomas Riccio's family cat
Beardsley's lawyer says Riccio is trying to drum up publicity for book
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- A man who says he was held up by O.J. Simpson and several other men in a Las Vegas hotel room was arrested on a parole violation after a key witness in the case accused him of making threats, authorities said.
Alfred Beardsley was taken into custody by parole officials in Santa Ana, California, said Jerome Marsh, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Beardsley is accused of violating a parole condition imposed in January prohibiting him from contacting collectibles broker Thomas Riccio, Marsh said.
Riccio -- who arranged the September 13 meeting in a Las Vegas hotel room during which Simpson allegedly confronted Beardsley about Simpson memorabilia he was selling -- filed a Los Angeles police complaint Monday accusing Beardsley of making "criminal threats."
"As a result of Mr. Riccio's action, Mr. Beardsley has been arrested by California parole," said Jack Neil Swickard, Beardsley's attorney in Newport Beach, California.
Swickard denied Beardsley had done anything wrong and alleged Riccio concocted the story to promote an upcoming book about the alleged heist.
Riccio's lawyer, Stanley Lieber of Woodland Hills, California, said Beardsley telephoned Riccio in recent weeks with threats to "boil the family cat," although Riccio doesn't have a cat, and to harm Beardsley and his family, booksellers and the publisher of Riccio's book.
Swickard said he believes Riccio was upset about Beardsley telephoning the book publisher to complain that he had not been contacted to check facts.
Marsh said Beardsley would remain in custody for a week or longer, depending on the results of a parole investigation.
Beardsley, 46, was paroled from prison in March 2006 after a 2003 felony conviction for stalking a woman in Riverside County, California.
Wednesday's arrest is Beardley's second in recent months. He was jailed from September to January for violating parole by traveling to Las Vegas for his ill-fated attempt to peddle Simpson memorabilia.
Simpson and two co-defendants, Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles Ehrlich, are due to stand trial September 8 in Las Vegas on charges they kidnapped and seized items at gunpoint from Beardsley and memorabilia broker Bruce Fromong in a hotel room at the Palace Station casino. Each has pleaded not guilty.
A kidnapping conviction carries the possibility of life in prison with the possibility of parole and a robbery conviction would mean mandatory prison time.
Simpson has maintained that no guns were used and that he only wanted to retrieve items that he said were stolen from him.
Riccio, 45, of Los Angeles, said he could not comment because of the terms of his book contract. He has been granted immunity in the case against Simpson, Stewart and Ehrlich, and testified for the prosecution at a preliminary hearing.
Beardsley, who testified against Simpson in November, sued Riccio on February 26 in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, claiming Riccio set him up and defrauded him.
Riccio denied the allegations and promised to countersue Beardsley for allegedly defrauding Riccio during a 2004 business encounter.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All AboutO.J. Simpson • Alfred Beardsley
Story Highlights
NEW: Memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley held on parole violation
Beardsley is at center of O.J. Simpson robbery case
Threats allegedly included boiling Thomas Riccio's family cat
Beardsley's lawyer says Riccio is trying to drum up publicity for book
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- A man who says he was held up by O.J. Simpson and several other men in a Las Vegas hotel room was arrested on a parole violation after a key witness in the case accused him of making threats, authorities said.
Alfred Beardsley was taken into custody by parole officials in Santa Ana, California, said Jerome Marsh, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Beardsley is accused of violating a parole condition imposed in January prohibiting him from contacting collectibles broker Thomas Riccio, Marsh said.
Riccio -- who arranged the September 13 meeting in a Las Vegas hotel room during which Simpson allegedly confronted Beardsley about Simpson memorabilia he was selling -- filed a Los Angeles police complaint Monday accusing Beardsley of making "criminal threats."
"As a result of Mr. Riccio's action, Mr. Beardsley has been arrested by California parole," said Jack Neil Swickard, Beardsley's attorney in Newport Beach, California.
Swickard denied Beardsley had done anything wrong and alleged Riccio concocted the story to promote an upcoming book about the alleged heist.
Riccio's lawyer, Stanley Lieber of Woodland Hills, California, said Beardsley telephoned Riccio in recent weeks with threats to "boil the family cat," although Riccio doesn't have a cat, and to harm Beardsley and his family, booksellers and the publisher of Riccio's book.
Swickard said he believes Riccio was upset about Beardsley telephoning the book publisher to complain that he had not been contacted to check facts.
Marsh said Beardsley would remain in custody for a week or longer, depending on the results of a parole investigation.
Beardsley, 46, was paroled from prison in March 2006 after a 2003 felony conviction for stalking a woman in Riverside County, California.
Wednesday's arrest is Beardley's second in recent months. He was jailed from September to January for violating parole by traveling to Las Vegas for his ill-fated attempt to peddle Simpson memorabilia.
Simpson and two co-defendants, Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles Ehrlich, are due to stand trial September 8 in Las Vegas on charges they kidnapped and seized items at gunpoint from Beardsley and memorabilia broker Bruce Fromong in a hotel room at the Palace Station casino. Each has pleaded not guilty.
A kidnapping conviction carries the possibility of life in prison with the possibility of parole and a robbery conviction would mean mandatory prison time.
Simpson has maintained that no guns were used and that he only wanted to retrieve items that he said were stolen from him.
Riccio, 45, of Los Angeles, said he could not comment because of the terms of his book contract. He has been granted immunity in the case against Simpson, Stewart and Ehrlich, and testified for the prosecution at a preliminary hearing.
Beardsley, who testified against Simpson in November, sued Riccio on February 26 in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, claiming Riccio set him up and defrauded him.
Riccio denied the allegations and promised to countersue Beardsley for allegedly defrauding Riccio during a 2004 business encounter.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All AboutO.J. Simpson • Alfred Beardsley
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