Dealer robbed by OJ Simpson seeks civil damages

Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 | 2:57 p.m.

AP Photo by Jae C. Hong, Pool

Bruce Fromong displays a signed photo entered into evidence during O.J. Simpson's trial in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008.

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O.J. Simpson trial

The collectibles dealer in the O.J. Simpson robbery-kidnapping case has filed a lawsuit against Simpson and his co-defendants in Clark County District Court seeking civil damages and attorneys' fees.

Simpson and his co-accused, Clarence “C.J.” Stewart, were found guilty Oct. 3 of robbing collectibles dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley at gunpoint on Sept 13, 2007, in a room at the Palace Station.

Fromong's lawsuit seeks general, special and punitive damages, each in excess of $10,000, as well as to recoup attorneys' fees and other costs and any additional relief "as the court may deem just and proper."

The suit was filed Friday by Fromong's Las Vegas attorney, Eliot S. Blut, of the firm Blut & Campain.

Also named in the lawsuit are Walter Alexander, Michael McClinton, Charles Ehrlich, Charles Chmore and Thomas Riccio. They are among the men said to have been present in the Palace Station hotel room when the incident took place.

Fromong is also going after several unnamed defendants.

The complaint cites severe and permanent emotional distress, anxiety, loss of sleep, nightmares, depression, hopelessness, embarrassment, humiliation and loss of self-esteem in connection with the Sept. 13 chain of events. It says the men intentionally caused emotional distress, calling the defendants' conduct "extreme and outrageous."

In addition, the lawsuit singles out Riccio for fraud. Riccio was the middleman who arranged the infamous run-in with Simpson. Riccio secretly recorded the altercation and instead of turning it over to police, he sold the audio recording to TMZ for $150,000.

Fromong is suing Riccio for punitive damages for "intentional, malicious, fraudulent and oppressive conduct."

Simpson has been sentenced to a maximum of 33 years in prison and Stewart to 27 years. Simpson will be eligible for parole in nine years, Stewart after seven and one-half.

Simpson's lawyer, Yale Galanter, calls the lawsuit frivolous and says he'll fight it "tooth and nail."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

By afveteran

9/14/09 at 4:42 p.m.

Suggest removal

This is frivolous. Hate to agree with O.J.'s shyster, but he's right.
By RustyShackleford

9/14/09 at 9:08 p.m.

Suggest removal

Good luck. Fred Goldman has been trying to get money out of the OJ for years. He can't, and no one else will either, because the Juice has spent it all trying to find the "real killers."