Gizmondo exec faces court again following mistrial

November 6th, 2006, 17:16 Posted By: wraggster

Former Gizmondo executive Stefan Eriksson is to be retried on counts of fraud and grand theft after the first jury to hear evidence was unable to reach a decision.

A California judge declared a mistrial on Friday after jurors were deadlocked 10-2 in favour of conviction on the charges, which centred on Eriksson's having imported rare sports cars to the US and ceasing to make payments on them.

Eriksson is best known within the games industry for his role in setting up the failed Gizmondo handheld business, and for his alleged links with the Swedish mafia. He also hit the headlines after his red Ferrari Enzo crashed on the Pacific coast highway, claiming that a man called Dietrich had been driving but had run off.

The current court case concerns a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and a black Ferrari Enzo. Eriksson reportedly admitted that he'd stopped making payments on the cars, but said it was because Gizmondo went bust, and not because he intended to steal them.

The LA District Attorney's office confirmed to ABC News that a retrial is set to take place. Eriksson is also facing charges relating to possession of a firearm (a .357 magnum), with jury selection beginning today.

Eriksson's head lawyer, Jim Parkman, said his client was "in very good spirits" about the mistrial result.

There are 0 comments - Join In and Discuss Here