Ex-Gizmondo exec charged with felonies

Prosecutors say there was no Dietrich; Eriksson now faces charges of grand theft, embezzlement, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

When former Gizmondo executive Stefan Eriksson was arrested and held without bail last week pending charges of grand theft, a police spokeman told The Los Angeles Times the investigation into Eriksson's highly publicized crash that destroyed a rare 2003 Ferarri was just beginning.

The latest report from The Times doesn't say if that investigation is over now, but it does point out that the charges against Eriksson have multiplied. Today he was officially charged with grand theft and embezzlement in connection with the wrecked Ferrari (and the rest of his exotic car collection, allegedly leased from British owners and illegally imported to the US), and possession of a gun by a convicted felon.

The Times cites court papers in saying Eriksson was convicted of counterfeiting and drug crimes in Sweden, and says detectives found a gun at his home in Bel-Air, California.

If convicted, Eriksson could be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.

73 Comments

  • nobeaner

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 4:53 pm PT

    Just looking through some stuff and found this beautiful mug shot of Eriksson.

    Enjoy.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stefaneriksson_mugshot.jpg

  • solidsnakeo

    Posted Apr 28, 2006 4:16 pm PT

    i feel sorry fo this guy look what happened to his company

  • xxscammersxx

    Posted Apr 25, 2006 4:18 pm PT

    LOL

  • KaMa_Returns

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 12:24 pm PT

    XD

  • Omega-Ing

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 2:02 pm PT

    heck I dont know why poeple cosidered it a handheld...

  • Omega-Ing

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 2:00 pm PT

    gizmondo sucked

  • cyprus646

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 1:55 pm PT

    Wow now im gona think twice before i buy a gizmondo. (sike)

  • troakun

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 1:42 pm PT

    Buying a Gizmodo should be considered a felony.

  • Paceydre

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 1:27 pm PT

    Lmao ^^

  • mr_squibble

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 12:41 pm PT

    The Gizmondo Eriksson Edition, complete with limited edition Ferrari racing game built in. Would be a great gimmick as this is the most publicity Gizmondo has ever received. Too bad the platform is dead. Just goes to show you kids, if you do dumb stuff you can get caught and get in big trouble.

  • tr00pa_26

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 12:27 pm PT

    hahahahaha..
    What more do you want out of life....

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 11:36 am PT

    This story proves that the gaming industry isn't just for geeks.

  • thps48

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 10:54 am PT

    Being sent to the slammer for making Gizmondo would work just as well. No one should **** with Nintendo!

  • vaejas

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 9:44 am PT

    Pwned! Racked up his five-stars. In his wallet was $36,452 in cash and a coupon for Pay-n-Spray.

  • singhapan

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 8:57 am PT

    This guy is a mess.

    He went to jail for 5 years before and now he going to jail again... yeah he's amzing

    we should make a videogame base on his life, it could be like Godfather, maybe it would out sales oblivion.

    and maybe port that on Gizmondo too, that would be so f&%$

  • Mooshu92887

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 6:40 am PT

    DAMN YOU DIETRICH!

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 6:35 am PT

    Enjoy prison, Eriksson.

    This guy is like a never-ending fountain of humor of something. Damn you, Dietrich!

  • Paul_TheGreat

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 6:03 am PT

    This guy is amazing.

  • pikapoka

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 5:15 am PT

    holly crapp
    guess tech bizness is dirty bizness *laff*

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 4:43 am PT

    if he can't "manage" his own life, no wonder he couldn't manage the gizmondo.

  • JBrookbank

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 4:25 am PT

    Wow, that guy's into some pretty crazy stuff.

  • Gigagamer2

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 4:08 am PT

    there are huge prospects for anyone who wants to make a biograph about him. it would outsell the da vinci code

  • ALLoY1717

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 3:24 am PT

    lol, that's what you get for making a failed handheld.
    Now if only this could happen to the Phantom people!

  • KiLLer_ba

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 12:51 am PT

    HE better say his good bye to his friend & family cause he going to Jail.

  • SnuffDaddyNZ

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 12:45 am PT

    Uwe Boll should make a movie out of this saga.

  • Phinster-n-Phinster

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 9:01 pm PT

    OH MY GOD! It all makes sense! It was Dietrich all along! Watergate? Dietrich! Kennedy assasination? Dietrich! Roswell? Loch Ness Monster? Atlantis? Dietrich! Dietrich! Dietrich! Oh God! I bet Dietrich was the one who hid the Sangreal documents, thus erasing Mary Magdalene and the Sacred Femenine from modern Christianity! DAMN YOU, DIETRICH! So dark the con of man, indeed.

  • way_eXtreme

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 7:39 pm PT

    wow this is like the 20th illegal thing this guy has done.

    however i feel the worst thing is when he crashed 3 of his cars, including a Ferrari Enzo. thats should be illegal.

  • alberto2045

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 7:26 pm PT

    What is that thing in the pic?

  • Ardus

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 7:16 pm PT

    ROFL @ the hiring Jack Thompason.

  • ninjacat11

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 7:15 pm PT

    PWNED!!!!

  • eckertt001

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 7:07 pm PT

    I think he needs to hire Jack Thompson and blame it on GTA...that should get him off the hook...

  • kriptonzz

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 7:02 pm PT

    14 years... wow

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 6:29 pm PT

    Maybe a swquel.

  • NeoJedi

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 6:17 pm PT

    Hmmm well I guess the guy better pack his bags and get ready for some hard time!

  • thehunter1320

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 6:07 pm PT

    DAMN YOU DIETRICH!!!!

  • poodeek

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 6:04 pm PT

    Pwned by Dietrich!!!

  • tuff_gong92

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 6:01 pm PT

    Again I repeat this is only the beginning.

  • XlpranksterlX

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 5:53 pm PT

    I was going to rat on Dietrich (lol) but i think the comment about a possible blame on GTA is way better.

  • Orasion_Seiz

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 5:53 pm PT

    too bad for him

  • gamecube120

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 5:44 pm PT

    Man, first his company goes down then this. I actually feel bad for the guy. The whole GPS / game integration was a cool idea. Oh well, back to GTA: LCS

  • BYS2

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 5:42 pm PT

    hmm. .wonder if this will get more interesting

  • darkcloudfreak

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 5:26 pm PT

    I remember when this crash happened. It was all over the local news. I didn't know it was the guy whose company only made about 3 Gizmondos though.

  • diminiansk8er

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 5:18 pm PT

    after listening to the hotspot for 4 hours straight because of a trip from Philadelphia to North Carolina, I noticed something, Dietrich... he's my hero... just like santa clause, Dietrich exists if you believe in him. (we need a Dietrich believer's union)

  • xmyles104212

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 5:04 pm PT

    "That's amazing... Gizmondo actually had money to be embezzled?"

    ZING!

  • mickel_darmawan

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 4:51 pm PT

    ??

  • ghostrc

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 4:43 pm PT

    They should a game about this for Gizmondo

  • Shtinky

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 4:37 pm PT

    Damn you Dietrich!!!

  • Nick8300

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 4:37 pm PT

    50$ says he does

    I would take you up on that offer, but sadly we will never meet.

  • Unforgiven2870

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 4:28 pm PT

    *Kounji
    How much you want to bet he does blame this on grand theft auto*

    50$ says he does.

  • wilkinsg

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 4:25 pm PT

    Yeah, this is big news. I was just in my bank and the have a big t.v. that plays news, and it was the major story being told at the time. They didn't specifically mention Gizmondo, however... So, did he and his partners really just start up Gizmondo so that they could spend the start up money? This story truly is amazing.

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