Co-defendant to testify in O J Simpson armed robbery case

LAS VEGAS: A co-defendant in O J Simpson's armed robbery case will plead guilty to a reduced charge and testify that guns were involved in the theft of sports collectibles from two memorabilia dealers, the man's lawyer has said.

Charles Cashmore is accused of being one of five men who joined Simpson in a hotel-room confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers. He will testify that two of the other men who entered the room with the former football star were armed, Cashmore's lawyer Edward Miley said yesterday.

Miley said Cashmore will plead guilty on Monday to being an accessory to robbery, a felony that could get him up to five years in prison. A court hearing is set for Monday, a court clerk confirmed.

"He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Miley said of Cashmore, a 40-year-old labourer, bartender and disc jockey who lives in Las Vegas.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger declined to comment.

Simpson and the others are charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, assault, burglary and conspiracy in the September 13 encounter in a Las Vegas casino hotel room between Simpson and memorabilia collectors Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong.

Simpson also faces a felony charge of coercion, alleging that he took a cell phone from Fromong.

Simpson has said he wanted to retrieve personal items that belonged to him, and his lawyers have maintained that no guns were used.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com