The Swedish owner of the $1.2 million Enzo Ferrari that crashed in Malibu six weeks ago is arrested on charges of felony grand theft in connection with three exotic cars, including the Enzo.
By Hans Laetz / Special to The Malibu Times
Swedish game company executive Stefan Eriksson, whose Pacific Coast Highway crash of his Enzo Ferrari seven weeks ago made headlines around the world, has traded his pricey mansion in Bel-Air Crest for a cell in the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail.
Members of an elite Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department team that deals with homeland security issues delivered a search warrant at Eriksson’s estate near Skirball Center Friday night. After searching for evidence, Eriksson was arrested and booked into the downtown jail early Saturday morning on charges of felony grand theft of property.
A scheduled bail hearing was canceled Tuesday, when prosecutors announced they needed more time to consider the complicated alleged crime, which involves the possible theft of three luxury show cars and the destruction of one of them in Malibu on Feb. 21. Eriksson did not appear in court Tuesday.
“These are charges stemming from all three vehicles [he allegedly owned]-the black Ferrari Enzo, the Mercedes that we seized in Beverly Hills and the red Ferrari that he wrecked in Malibu,” Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
“There was some sort of impropriety with the bank loans back in the United Kingdom on all three vehicles.”
However, Eriksson still has not been charged in connection with the crash that completely destroyed the $1.2 million Enzo Ferrari, driven at an estimated speed of 162 mph. Eriksson’s blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit for driving; however, he claimed he was not driving the car at the time of the accident. DNA tests that were taken from the crash scene and from Eriksson came in last week, but Sheriff’s officials have not released the results of those tests.
The Mercedes SLR McLaren worth more than $450,000 that was impounded in Beverly Hills March 26 was driven by Eriksson’s wife, Nicole Persson, 33. She was pulled over by Beverly Hills Police after an officer noticed it had no North American license plates.
A young car enthusiast told reporters he was standing at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Drive and saw the Mercedes circle the block three times before the officer pulled it over. The boy told police he recognized it instantly as the limited edition McLaren that Eriksson had reported stolen to British police last year, according to broadcast reports.
Deputies seized the third car, a black Enzo, at Eriksson’s house Friday. The Los Angeles Times, quoting unnamed sources, reported that a small amount of cocaine and some handguns were seized there as well.
On Tuesday, reporters and photographers from Malibu to Stockholm were perched inside a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, waiting for the 44-year-old international playboy to be brought into a glass-enclosed bench for his bail appearance. Eriksson was fed a lunch of a balogna sandwich, chips and fruit as he waited in a holding cell with a general population of alleged miscellaneous criminals.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Superior Court said Eriksson will learn by the end of the day Monday exactly what charges will be filed by the district attorney. Although he is currently held on one felony count of grand theft, additional charges are possible.
A court commissioner could reduce Eriksson’s bail, but the Department of Homeland Security has placed a hold on him for possible immigration charges, meaning his release is unlikely.
Whitmore said he does not know if charges have been filed in Britain. If the UK requests extradition, it will be up to the Los Angeles County district attorney whether to try him here or extradite him.
As to the three misdemeanor charges that could be coming from Malibu-drunk driving, reckless driving and making a false statement to a police officer-Whitmore said those could be filed but may be dropped by the county attorney, as the punishment is relatively insignificant as compared to the felony grand theft charges Eriksson faces now.