Alfred Beardsley, one of the memorabilia brokers who was ambushed when NFL great O. J. Simpson and his associates burst into a room at the Standard Hotel in Las Vegas to confiscate Simpson collectibles, has filed a lawsuit claiming he was set up by a mutual acquaintance.
Beardsley, who several weeks ago granted Our Weekly an exclusive interview in which he claimed that he and Simpson were set up by Robert Riccio, filed the lawsuit against Riccio and up to 100 named individuals.
The confrontation between Beardsley and Simpson occurred Sept. 13 at the Palace hotel and casino and led to Simpson and four others being charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. The trial is set for April 7.
The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order and injunctions prohibiting Riccio and others from using plaintiff�s likeness, quotations of statements or summaries of statements. O. J. Simpson is not named in the Orange County Superior Court lawsuit.
Beardsley is seeking damages for fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional interference with a prospective economic advantage and unjust enrichment.
Beardsley said that Riccio contacted him about selling certain sports memorabilia items that Beardsley said he knew were in the possession of Bruce Fromong, his friend and business associate.
The broker said the items were once owned by Simpson but that Simpson said the items were stolen from him by a former employee. Beardsley said he later acquired them.
Riccio then set up a �sting� between Simpson and Beardsley, claiming that he had buyer for the items a wealthy software company owner who lives in Las Vegas. The buyer was actually Simpson. Riccio did not notify Simpson or Beardsley of each other�s identities.
Without telling Beardsley, Riccio �intentionally made false statements to Simpson which would cause Simpson to become extremely angry in the hope that this would result in a more profitable recording for Riccio to sell, according to Beardsley�s lawsuit. Riccio�s tape of the confrontation was allegedly sold to the gossip celebrity site TMZ for six figures.
Riccio led Simpson and five men to the hotel room, two of whom were armed with handguns.
Beardsley said the men were yelling at him and Fromong, shoving them and threatening them with weapons.
�Beardsley was in fear of his life or great bodily injury,� the lawsuit states. After Simpson and the men left, Beardsley and Fromong contacted hotel security and made a police report.
Beardsley has said he wants to be removed from the Simpson case.