Simpson Accuser Now 'On O.J.'s Side'

The Palace Station hotel & casino is shown in Las Vegas on Friday, Sept. 14, 2007. Police questioned O. J. Simpson about a break-in at the property Thursday night. Simpson was released and is believed to be in Las Vegas, police spokesman Jose Montoya said. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) (Isaac Brekken - AP)

Simpson accused Mike Gilbert, a one-time associate, of stealing the items from him. He said he believes Gilbert stole items from a storage locker once held in Simpson's mother's name.

Attempts to reach Gilbert by phone were unsuccessful.

As Simpson's licensing agent in the late 1990s, Gilbert admitted snatching Simpson's Heisman Trophy and other items from his client's Brentwood home as payment for money he said was owed to him. He later turned the items over to authorities, save the trophy's nameplate.

Gilbert swore he'd go to jail before turning the nameplate over to the Goldman family, which was trying to collect on the $33.5 million civil judgment it won against Simpson. Gilbert later surrendered it under court order.

As questions swirled around the curious cast of characters and their mysterious meeting, media scrutiny and public interest that has dogged the fallen athlete was in full swing.

By Saturday afternoon, Simpson's new book, "If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer," was the top seller on Amazon.com.

None of the men will profit from the book's sales. After a deal for Simpson to publish it fell through, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the book's rights to the Goldman family.

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AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report from Los Angeles.