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Man Held in Murder-For-Hire of Kobe Bryant Accuser
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Swiss national who police say approached Kobe Bryant with an offer to kill -- for $3 million -- the Colorado woman who had accused him of rape was arrested on Thursday after he was turned in by the basketball star's security team.
Patrick Graber, who was living in the Los Angeles suburb of El Segundo on an expired visa and claimed to be a member of the Russian mafia, was taken into custody after accepting a bag full of money to kill the woman from undercover officers, police said.
Graber, 31, told the officers he would kill the 19-year-old woman, a hotel concierge and college student, for $3 million and provide proof of the deed, possibly with a photograph of her body, Los Angeles Sheriff's Lt. Jim Taylor said.
Taylor said Graber, a physically imposing bodybuilding coach who identified himself as "Yuri," made his initial offer to Bryant in a letter that was intercepted by the basketball star's security staff, who contacted authorities.
"He was soliciting them to commit a murder, through the mail," Taylor said, adding that police believed that Graber was serious in his threats and intended to carry them out within the week.
"He could make her not come to court, he could make her disappear, he could make her have a drug overdose. He was specific in that manner," Taylor said, adding that Graber accepted a bag that contained mostly fake money from a movie studio at the meeting with undercover officers.
It was not immediately clear if authorities believed Graber's alleged statements that he was involved with organized crime but said he appeared to know personal information about Bryant's accuser and her family.
"This individual, by his actions and statements and who he was involved with made us believe his threat was credible," Taylor said. "He alleged he was involved in organized crime."
Attorney's for Bryant's accuser, who has not been identified by most mainstream media, were not immediately available for comment on the arrest. Authorities said they had told the woman, her family, and other parities involved in the Bryant rape case, about the threat.
Bryant is scheduled to face a preliminary hearing in the case on Oct. 9 that will determine if he should stand trial on a charge of felony sexual assault, the equivalent of rape under Colorado law.
Bryant has denied he raped the woman and said his June 30 encounter with her was consensual sex.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Swiss national who police say approached Kobe Bryant with an offer to kill -- for $3 million -- the Colorado woman who had accused him of rape was arrested on Thursday after he was turned in by the basketball star's security team.
Patrick Graber, who was living in the Los Angeles suburb of El Segundo on an expired visa and claimed to be a member of the Russian mafia, was taken into custody after accepting a bag full of money to kill the woman from undercover officers, police said.
Graber, 31, told the officers he would kill the 19-year-old woman, a hotel concierge and college student, for $3 million and provide proof of the deed, possibly with a photograph of her body, Los Angeles Sheriff's Lt. Jim Taylor said.
Taylor said Graber, a physically imposing bodybuilding coach who identified himself as "Yuri," made his initial offer to Bryant in a letter that was intercepted by the basketball star's security staff, who contacted authorities.
"He was soliciting them to commit a murder, through the mail," Taylor said, adding that police believed that Graber was serious in his threats and intended to carry them out within the week.
"He could make her not come to court, he could make her disappear, he could make her have a drug overdose. He was specific in that manner," Taylor said, adding that Graber accepted a bag that contained mostly fake money from a movie studio at the meeting with undercover officers.
It was not immediately clear if authorities believed Graber's alleged statements that he was involved with organized crime but said he appeared to know personal information about Bryant's accuser and her family.
"This individual, by his actions and statements and who he was involved with made us believe his threat was credible," Taylor said. "He alleged he was involved in organized crime."
Attorney's for Bryant's accuser, who has not been identified by most mainstream media, were not immediately available for comment on the arrest. Authorities said they had told the woman, her family, and other parities involved in the Bryant rape case, about the threat.
Bryant is scheduled to face a preliminary hearing in the case on Oct. 9 that will determine if he should stand trial on a charge of felony sexual assault, the equivalent of rape under Colorado law.
Bryant has denied he raped the woman and said his June 30 encounter with her was consensual sex.
