Simpson's Lawyer Grills Memorabilia Dealer

LAS VEGAS -- One of two memorabilia dealers former NFL star O.J. Simpson is accused of robbing was the first witness to testify in a Las Vegas courtroom for Simpson's pretrial hearing on armed robbery and other charges.

Bruce Fromong testified Thursday that Simpson burst into a hotel room with a handful of other men.

"O.J. was screaming, 'This is all my s---. This all belongs to me. You stole this from me. Let's pack up. Let's get out of here,"' Fromong said.

Fromong testified that that one of the men pointed a gun in his face during the alleged confrontation, which lasted five to six minutes. The dealer claimed the men stuffed hundreds of items into pillowcases and the Palace Station hotel-casino, where the alleged incident took place.

Simpson has said that the memorabilia had been stolen from him.

During an aggressive cross-examination, Simpson attorney Gabriel Grasso sought to show that Fromong was less traumatized than excited about the chance at a big payday at the expense of Simpson.

Fromong acknowledged that he has gone to the online auction site eBay in an effort to peddle items he has dubbed as "identical to the items O.J. stole from me!"

He also said that when he suffered a heart attack days after the incident, he called a TV show from his hospital bed but said he just wanted to make sure he wasn't lumped together with "unsavory characters" in the case.

He also confirmed that he has discussed the idea of a book with various people.

Simpson was surrounded by a contingent of lawyers and about a dozen uniformed officers as he arrived at a the courtroom. He arrived at the courthouse in a black Hummer and was dressed in dark sunglasses, a tan suit, white shirt and matching tie as he made his way into the building through a metal detector.

Simpson, who looked straight ahead, didn't stop to talk.

At the hearing, expected to last two days, a Las Vegas justice of the peace will be asked to determine whether there is enough evidence to take Simpson and two co-defendants to trial on charges that they robbed the two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Simpson is accused, among other things, of armed robbery and kidnapping for the alleged incident in September.

He could be looking at hard time if the charges stick.

Conviction on the robbery charge carries a mandatory sentence of at least two years in prison, while the kidnapping charge could bring life.

Three of Simpson's five co-defendants have reached plea deals and were expected to testify against him.

Fromong was the first of eight witnesses prosecutors expected to call.

Memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley, who Fromong said organized the meeting, had been in custody in California on a parole violation, but has been transferred to a Las Vegas jail and is expected to testify, defense lawyers said.

Simpson has told a friend that the charges are rooted in his previous trial for the 1994 slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The friend said Simpson thinks "he's being tried for that now."

More:

See The Amended Complaint (Nevada v. Simpson, et al.) at FindLaw.com

See The Arrest Report In The O.J. Simpson Case At FindLaw.com