Cops Zap $1M Car Crash Suspect
The mystery behind the high-speed crash of a rare Ferrari on a coastal highway took another strange turn as prosecutors filed embezzlement, grand theft, drunken driving and weapons charges against a Swedish businessman.
Bo Stefan M. Eriksson, 44, a former executive with the European video game company Gizmondo, pleaded not guilty Monday and was ordered held on $5.5 million bail.
The case stems from the Feb. 21 crash of a Ferrari Enzo — one of only 400 made — which slammed into a pole on Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway while traveling at an estimated 162 mph. The $1 million vehicle was destroyed; Eriksson survived the crash with just a cut lip.
The accident triggered an investigation when Eriksson told police he was only a passenger in the car, described as part of his collection, and that the driver was a German acquaintance he knew only as Dietrich who ran into the hills after the crash.
Prosecutors contend that Dietrich never existed and that Eriksson was behind the wheel with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. The charges were filed after officials received results of a DNA test of blood found on the vehicle's driver-side air bag.
They charged Eriksson with three counts each of embezzlement and grand theft for allegedly bringing two Enzos and a Mercedes McLaren SLR — altogether worth an estimated $3.8 million — into the United States even though he had only leased them from British financial institutions.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Swedish police records show that Eriksson was allegedly involved in counterfeiting, assault and drug crimes connected to a Swedish criminal gang. He was sentenced to prison three separate times, according to the records, the Times said.
During a search of Eriksson's house in Bel-Air, authorities said they discovered a .357-caliber handgun, which was illegal because he had been convicted of drug, assault, fraud and other charges in Sweden between 1988 and 1994. He was charged with one felony count of gun possession and two misdemeanor drunken driving charges.
If convicted on all counts, Eriksson could be face up to 14 years in prison.
Eriksson wore an orange jail uniform and listened from behind a glass barrier during the hearing as his attorney, David Elden, declared his innocence.
"This is a traffic collision that has turned into a major criminal case because of the value of the Ferrari," said Andrew Flier, another of Eriksson's attorneys, said later.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel set a bail review hearing for April 24.