LAS VEGAS — O.J. Simpson says he only went into a casino hotel room to retrieve memorabilia that he said was stolen from him. But police are investigating it as an armed robbery and named the fallen football star as a suspect Friday in yet another surprising chapter to his legal saga.
In an interview, Simpson insisted there were no guns involved and he only went to the room at the Palace Station casino to retrieve stolen mementos that included his Hall of Fame certificate and a picture of the running back with J. Edgar Hoover.
“It’s stolen stuff that’s mine. Nobody was roughed up,” Simpson said.
Las Vegas Metro Police Capt. James Dillon said the confrontation was reported as an armed robbery involving guns. But he said no weapons had been recovered and stressed that the investigation was in its “infancy.”
Simpson, who was questioned by police immediately after the incident late Thursday, was cooperating, Dillon said. The captain said a formal interview was being arranged. No charges had been filed and no one was in custody.
Simpson said auction house owner Tom Riccio called him several weeks ago to say some collectors “have a lot of your stuff and they don’t want anyone to know they are selling it.”
The Las Vegas district attorney’s office will decide whether to pursue charges in the casino case.
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