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Metro: Simpson Investigation Still Young

Police Will Use Weekend To Interview Witnesses, Suspects

POSTED: 5:21 am PDT September 14, 2007
UPDATED: 10:42 pm PDT September 14, 2007

Authorities are still investigating whether a gun was used when O.J. Simpson and others entered a Las Vegas hotel room and, after a heated argument, walked off with sports memorabilia.

The incident was reported to police during a 911 call as an "armed robbery," though Simpson claims no break-in or crime was committed and he was simply retrieving his own possessions.

"We have not recovered any weapons," police Capt. James Dillon told reporters Friday afternoon, noting investigators are still probing whether guns played a role in Thursday night's incident inside Palace Station casino.

Simpson Cooperating With Police

Simpson has been interviewed and is cooperating with police, Dillon said. The alleged victim in the case told police Simpson was accompanied by five other people. Police are currently reviewing surveillance tapes to reconstruct the situation.

"This investigation is in its infancy," Dillon said. "We are not at any point currently to release any copies of police reports or materials as to the investigation."

It was unclear how many of Simpson's cohorts have been questioned by police, but Dillion said the department hopes to interview all witnesses, suspects and any other relevant party for information in the next 24 to 72 hours.

Simpson told the Associated Press he was conducting a "sting operation" to collect his belongings when he was escorted into the room at the Palace Station casino. Police say the former NFL star, who was in town for a friend's wedding, is a suspect in the reported break-in.

Simpson's accuser, whom police have not yet publicly identified, alleged that sports memorabilia had been stolen. So far neither Simpson nor several others who were questioned have been arrested or charged in connection with the incident. However, police intend to turn their findings over to the Clark County District Attorneys Office, which will decide whether criminal charges are merited.

FOX5 News has interviewed a man, Thomas Riccio, who claims to have witnessed the incident that sparked the allegations. Riccio said he works for Universal Rarities, an auction house based in California, and that a customer had contacted him about one month ago and claimed to have "personal possessions" that had belonged to O.J. Simpson. The customer claimed to have confiscated the items from Simpson because Simpson owed him money, Riccio told FOX5 News.

After the conversation, Riccio said he contacted Simpson -- whom he had met previously -- about the items. "He had said that it was stolen from him," Riccio said.

Riccio said he met with the potential customer Thursday night in a Palace Station hotel room. While surveying the items, Riccio said Simpson entered the room with several others and reclaimed the items in question. While someone reported the act as a theft to police, Riccio implied that Simpson believed the items were rightfully his own. Simpson did not use force when entering the room, was unarmed, and never acted violently during the ordeal, Riccio said.

The allegations against Simpson are garnering national headlines, coincidentally, on the same day that his controversial new book "If I Did It," is scheduled to be released. The book is Simpson's response to prior allegations that he had killed his ex-wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. Both were found stabbed to death outside Brown-Simpson's home in June 1994. Simpson was charged with murder but was famously acquitted during trial. Goldman's family, however, filed a civil suit and won, with a jury finding Simpson civilly liable for both deaths and ordering him to pay $33 million in damages.

Simpson was supposed to give a deposition today in Miami in a bankruptcy case involving his eldest daughter. It was canceled, because Simpson had told attorneys that he would be out of town, officials said. Keep up with the latest on this breaking news story on FOX5 and fox5vegas.com.

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