FBI Knew of O.J. Simpson Plan in Advance

Latest News | Top Stories | News Articles: "LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Federal agents learned three weeks in advance that O.J. Simpson and a memorabilia dealer planned an operation to retrieve personal items Simpson said were stolen from him, according to FBI reports obtained Friday by The Associated Press. Dealer Thomas Riccio told FBI agents Aug. 21 that Simpson wanted to televise the operation as he confronted a collector who was peddling thousands of pieces of Simpson's memorabilia. But Riccio was not clear how the operation would unfold, and there was no mention in the report of guns that were allegedly drawn as Simpson and five other men stormed a Las Vegas hotel room. Riccio was advised to contact a lawyer before taking any action and was told that alerting the FBI would not absolve him of any potential crime, agent Linda Kline wrote of the meeting, which occurred in Los Angeles. 'I went along with O.J.'s plan,' Riccio told the AP on Friday. 'It was a self-organized sting operation. Except for the final result, with him bringing people who had guns. I knew nothing about that.'"