Thomas Riccio, a sports collectibles dealer, the man behind O. J. Simpson’s bust and was a key witness at the Simpson’s Armed Robbery and Kidnapping Trial; has a rap sheet of his own which includes: stolen goods, prison escape and arsonist.

Thomas Riccio arranged and secretly recorded the Las Vegas hotel room meeting between O. J. Simpson and two other memorabilia collectors, and sold the tape to TMZ.com. Riccio said he netted around $210.000 from the media for the tapes. 

Riccio is an ex-con with a rap sheet that includes somewhere around four separately felony convictions which includes prison escape, stolen property charges and arson.

Riccio spent a combined total of eight years in prison.  In 1984 he was convicted of a felony in New Jersey on a federal charge of conspiracy to receive stolen goods.  October 1984; Riccio ended up at the federal lockup in Danbury, Connecticut.  Less than three months later Riccio escaped from Danbury.  He was apprehended in California about five months after his escape. He spent approximately four and a half years in federal custody on stolen property and escape charges.

In 1994 Riccio was arrested on arson possession of flammable materials charges.  He pleaded to the felony charges in Orange County Superior Court in California and was sentenced two years in state prison.

Riccio had a felony conviction of theft of approximately $500,000 worth of rare silver and gold coin. 

Riccio was arrested for having, in his possession, a rare coin stolen from Miami dealer Arthur Smith.  A search of Rocco’s home turned up about 1100 more coins stolen from Arthur Smith.

A Long Beach jury convicted Riccio of receiving stolen property.  He was sentenced three years in prison and ordered to pay Smith $165,000 in restitution. 

He was released in 1997 and was arrested again in 1999 on probation violation.  He was released after about four months.

September 2007; Riccio set up a meeting, under false pretense, between O.J. Simpson and two other sports memorabilia dealers.  Then he called O. J. Simpson and told him that two memorabilia dealers was going to sell O. J.’s stolen items at an auction in the Las Vegas hotel room.

O. J. Simpson and five other men stormed in the room demanding Mr. Simpson’s stolen  memorabilia.  Two of the men with O. J. Simpson were armed with guns.

On Friday, October 3, 2008; O. J. Simpson was found guilty on 12 Counts, including armed robbery and kidnapping.