LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A co-defendant in O.J. Simpson's robbery and kidnapping trial has struck a deal that will see him testify against the disgraced former American football star, justice officials said Monday.
Charles Ehrlich has pleaded guilty to reduced charges of attempted accessory to robbery and attempted burglary after becoming the fourth of Simpson's co-accused to agree a deal ahead of the September 8 trial.
Ehrlich's plea deal was outlined in court documents made available to AFP by officials in Clark County, Nevada.
Ehrlich was part of a gang of gun-toting men who accompanied Simpson when they stormed into a Las Vegas casino hotel room last September and seized sports memorabilia worth thousands of dollars from two dealers.
Simpson -- who was the prime suspect in the murder of his ex-wife and her friend in 1994 -- could be jailed for life if convicted on the most serious charges relating to the alleged heist.
Four men who joined Simpson on the alleged raid have now agreed to testify against the former sports icon.
Simpson and another man, Clarence Stewart, have denied charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.
Simpson told reporters following his arrest that he had only been recovering personal items stolen from him during the incident. He also repeatedly denied knowing that any members of his entourage were carrying guns.
One of the most famous American football players of his generation during a glittering 1970s career that saw him set several records, Simpson was the chief suspect in the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.
Simpson, who has always vehemently denied the killings, was acquitted of murder after a racially charged Los Angeles trial in 1995, a verdict that was greeted with outrage across America.
Simpson was subsequently found liable for the deaths in a 1997 civil suit and was ordered to pay damages to the victims' families totaling 33.5 million dollars.
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