Free Republic

LOS ANGELES - Prosecutors dropped charges of solicitation to commit murder against a man who allegedly offered to kill Kobe Bryant's accuser. In exchange, Patrick Graber, 31, pleaded no contest to one charge of grand theft before Superior Court Judge Katherine Mader, the district attorney's office said. He faces up to three years in state prison when he is sentenced May 13. "His main goal was to get money," said Deputy District Attorney Marguerite Rizzo said. "We felt this was an appropriate plea in this case." Prosecutors dropped one count each of solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to dissuade...

KFI reporter Eric Leonard just broke the following exclusive story. A man was arrested today after he approached Kobe Bryant's defense team with an offer to murder the female accuser in his sexual assault case. Patrick Grobber of El Segundo, 31, asked for $3 million to either murder the woman or "talk her out of testifying." He is being charged with one count of solicitation to commit murder and is being held on $1 million bail. Grobber, a German national, had given the name "Uri Andropov" to the defense team and identified himself as a Russian mobster. "Uri Andropov" was...