KOBE BRYANT CASE Man allegedly offered to kill accuser

The player's security personnel alerted law authorities.
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities on Thursday arrested a Swiss bodybuilding coach they said made a $3 million offer to kill the woman who has accused Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant of sexual assault.
Patrick Graber was arrested for investigation of soliciting a murder after making the offer to Bryant's security director and then meeting with undercover detectives, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca told a news conference at his headquarters.
Baca said Graber, 31, of El Segundo, agreed to carry out the murder for $1 million up front and $2 million after the fact.
"We believe it was a credible threat," sheriff's Lt. Jim Taylor said.
He added that just before the arrest, Graber was given a bag full of movie studio prop money.
Graber was booked and held on $1 million bail, and an arraignment was set for Monday.
Sheriff's officials said he had an expired visa and worked at a local gym.
Background
The investigation began Sept. 8 after security personnel employed by Bryant said they had received a letter from Graber saying he could solve Bryant's problems, the Sheriff's Department said.
A security official met with Graber and then contacted sheriff's investigators.
A meeting was arranged with Graber and undercover sheriff's detectives.
The detectives concluded that Graber was offering to commit murder and they contacted the accuser's family in her home state of Colorado and authorities there to advise them of the alleged threat.
Sheriff's undercover investigators had several more meetings with Graber in which a money exchange for the murder was arranged, officials said.
Authorities said others may have been involved in the alleged plot. Taylor said Graber planned to hire someone to commit the crime and offered to provide evidence that it had been done.
"He said he could make her not come to court, he could make her disappear, he could make her have a drug overdose," Taylor said.
Graber allegedly told authorities he was involved in organized crime, possibly the Russian mafia. Sheriff's detectives said they do not have any evidence that Graber had those ties, but are investigating.