Police mugshot of Eriksson after his arrest in April 2006

For the former Swedish tennis player see Stefan Eriksson (tennis).

Bo Stefan M. Eriksson (born 14 December 1961) is a Swedish businessman from Uppsala who ran the Gizmondo gaming company until it became insolvent in 2005. Image File history File links Stefaneriksson_mugshot. ... Image File history File links Stefaneriksson_mugshot. ... Al Capone. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Uppsala (older spelling Upsala) is a Swedish City in central Sweden, located about 70 km north of Stockholm. ... The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console with GPRS and GPS technology, which was manufactured by Tiger Telematics. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Uppsala mob

Eriksson became known by the Swedish police as Tjock-Steffe ("Fat Steve") or as The Banker by the local mob in the city of Uppsala, some 50 km north of Stockholm. An auto body shop worker, he started his criminal career with thefts and a three-month prison term in 1981, he got another 3.5 years for cocaine and arms related convictions in 1988.^[1] In the late 80's, he was also involved in a fatal car accident with a Saab Turbo, borrowed for a test drive from a dealership. One passenger broke his spine, and a young girl was killed. Uppsala (older spelling Upsala) is a Swedish City in central Sweden, located about 70 km north of Stockholm. ... See Saab 900 (NG) for the 1994–1998 Saab 900 model. ...

In the early 90's, Eriksson became the head of a group the Swedish press dubbed Uppsalamaffian (the "Uppsala mafia" or "Uppsala mob"),^[2] responsible for some high-profile violent crimes rarely seen in the country. A playboy, Eriksson showed off on a 1,200 horse power, Sea Ray 63' offshore race boat, capable of 56 knots, called Snövit (Snow White), absurdly docked downtown Uppsala on a small river.^[3] He was also seen driving a Mercedes SL with the license plate reading "GEO" (in Swedish pronounced similar to the Cuban slang llello for cocaine, used by Al Pacino in the 1983 movie Scarface.) With a legal front Kanoninkasso ("Cannon debt collection"), the group collected debt using threats and violence. Establishing a reputation, they started to dress in expensive suits and hold "business meetings" in exclusive Stockholm hotels. Attempting to defraud the Swedish Bank Giro Central of 22 million Kronor, Eriksson and Peter Uf, the other future executive of Gizmondo, were found guilty of fraud and counterfeiting. In 1993 and 1994, Eriksson was sentenced to ten years in prison, only to serve half his sentence. Court documents show Eriksson and a partner broke into a man's home, smashed his apartment and punched him repeatedly in the face, that Eriksson held a knife to the man's throat and threatened to cut off his fingers, and finally shoved a gun into the man's mouth.^[2] The Swedish police had great difficulties in finding people who dared to testify, and the head witness later survived two bomb attacks.^[4] Playboy is an American adult entertainment magazine, founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, which has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc. ... Uppsala (older spelling Upsala) is a Swedish City in central Sweden, located about 70 km north of Stockholm. ... The Mercedes-Benz R129 automobiles were produced from 1989 through 2003. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Alfredo James Al Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an iconic Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor. ... Scarface is a 1983 motion picture directed by Brian de Palma, written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana, a fictional Cuban refugee who comes to Florida in 1980 as a result of the Mariel Boatlift. ... This article is about the Swedish unit of currency. ...

In the summer of 2000, again collecting debt, Eriksson paid a business visit to Carl Freer who had failed to deliver Ferraris to Sweden.^[5] In his career, Freer had initially been convicted for cheque fraud and forging his parent's signatures as cosigners in 1988, then during the 90s escaped a dozen police investigations in Sweden alone by quickly flipping names and countries (Spain, France, Germany, UK...)^[6][7] Teaming with the shrewd Freer, the group moved on to white collar crime.^[2] Carl Freer Carl Freer (born 9th May 1970) was a director of Gizmondo Europe which went bankrupt in February 2006. ... White-collar crimes (a term coined by Edwin Sutherland in 1939) or Business crimes are those crimes specifically performed by white collar employees. ...

Gizmondo

In 2001, Eriksson joined Freer in Great Britain in the company Gizmondo, which intended to rival Nintendo and Sony for the handheld videogames market. Through some innovative financial transactions, Freer could take his Swedish electronics company onto the Nasdaq exchange and raise millions. Eriksson's salary in 2004 £1.1million with bonuses that totaled to another £145,000 and received a car allowance of £5,000 per month. Eriksson's wife, Nicole Persson, was paid £90,000 for 'marketing and public-relations services' for just over one year. In an attempt to promote the product, Eriksson competed at the 24 hours of Le Mans in the Gizmondo sponsored Ferrari 360 Modena GTC in 2005 but would retire into the morning with mechanical troubles. In October 2005, a Swedish paper revealed irregularities and an ex-con and on-the-run from prison management at Gizmondo.^[4] Eriksson, Freer and others resigned, and the company filed for bankruptcy after using up $300M, 90% in its last six months. The company was also involved in various litigation: Swedish Ogilvy Group, MTV, and the Jordan Grand Prix all filed million dollar suits.^[8] However, in August, Gizmondo relocated Eriksson to California for its US launch with question marks around how the felon Eriksson could enter the country at all. In 2006, with a setup similar to now defunct Gizmondo, the virtual mobile operator (MVNO) XeroMobile [1] was started through Eriksson's earlier partners, and he was facing a bright future. For more info about XeroMobile [2]. The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console with GPRS and GPS technology, which was manufactured by Tiger Telematics. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (Japanese: 任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ferrari 360 is the name given to three models of Ferrari cars: the Ferrari 360 Modena, an enclosed two-door coupe; the Ferrari 360 Spider, a two-door convertible; and the Ferrari Challenge Stradale, the bare-bones version of the 360 Modena. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... Eddie Jordan, founder and owner of Jordan Grand Prix, greets the fans in Montreal in 1996 Jordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. ... Motorola T2288 mobile phone A mobile phone is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal telephone whilst being able to move over a wide area (compare cordless phone which acts as a telephone only within a limited range). ...

Car crash

On February 21, 2006, Eriksson lost control of a Enzo Ferrari sports car, valued at over USD$1,000,000 while allegedly driving at high speed and intoxicated along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. The car careened off an embankment outside Malibu and hit a pole at about 199 mph (320.61 km/h) as recorded on a speedometer on a passenger Trevor Karney - videotape inside the car, which split the car in half.^[10] Eriksson and an Irish-born American, Trevor Karney, were found at the site. Eriksson claimed to be a passenger of the Ferrari, and that a man he only knew as "Dietrich" was the driver. Karney claimed to be the passenger of a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren that was racing the Ferrari. Neither Dietrich nor the Mercedes were to be found, and the police concluded that Eriksson was the driver and Karney the passenger, and that neither "Dietrich" nor the McLaren existed. Further, the extent of Eriksson's injuries amounted to a cut lip, and blood was found on the driver's side airbag. Getaway in Stockholm is a series of illegal street racing movies filmed using mainly car mounted cameras along with some cameramen alongside the route. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Enzo Ferrari is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the companys founder, Enzo Ferrari. ... State Route 1, often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along a large length of the Pacific coast of the U.S. State of California. ... Streisand Estate, Malibu The Malibu pier near the famous Surfrider Beach Dawn in the Santa Monica Mountains The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in central Malibu The Paradise Cove pier in Malibu Malibu is a city located in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Dietrich may refer to: Dietrich, Idaho Sepp Dietrich Marlene Dietrich Dietrich, Nazi leader from computer game Prisoner of Ice Dietrich, Nazi colonel in Raiders of the Lost Ark Categories: Disambiguation ... The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a sports car and supercar automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. ... An automobile airbag, like this one in a crashed SEAT Ibiza car, deflates after 0. ...

Eriksson brandished a business card claiming to be a deputy police commissioner with the San Gabriel Valley Transit Authority (whose founder was later arrested for perjury in connection with the case)^[11], and Karney borrowed a phone in a bypasser's car where he tucked away a pistol magazine.^[12] Two men showed up to speak with Eriksson, claiming to be from the Department of Homeland Security.^[13] Attorney business card 1895 Business cards are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. ... The San Gabriel Valley Transit Authority was a very small bus transit provider in Los Angeles County, California providing transport services primarily to a local disabled population. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ... The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a Cabinet department of the federal government of the United States that is concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. ...

On March 29, 2006, Nicole Persson, Eriksson's fiance, was pulled over for driving without a license in a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The police found the car to be unregistered, carrying British license plates, and illegally exported from Britain - along with the crashed red Enzo, a second black Enzo, and two other Mercedes-Benz cars.^[14] It was found that all five cars valued at $3.8million were leased in Britain. Moreover, lease payments for them had ceased; and that after the export, the Mercedes was reported stolen in Britain with insurance pay-out. Footage of Erikson in his black Ferrari Enzo, shot by the founders of a car enthusiast website, car-parazzi.com, was held as evidence against him by European authorities. March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a sportscar and supercar automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...

Police Investigation

Police raided Eriksson's Bel-Air home and on April 8, 2006, Eriksson, preparing to leave the US, was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement, grand theft auto, drunken driving, cocaine possession, and weapons charges stemming from a Magnum handgun encountered during the search. He is facing up to 14 years in prison. In May, misdemeanor hit and run and driving without a California license and insurance were added in relation to a Porsche Cayenne allegedly driven by Eriksson rear-ending an SUV near his Bel-Air home on January fourth.^[15] Bel Air is the name of several places in the United States of America: Bel Air, Alabama Bel Air, Los Angeles, California Bel Air, Kentucky Bel Air, Maryland Bel Air, Tennessee Bel Air, Texas Bel Air, Virginia (two places): in Fairfax County in Stafford County Outside America: Bel Air, Mauritius... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... Motor vehicle theft is a crime of theft. ... It has been suggested that Drunk driving (United States) be merged into this article or section. ... Drug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in ones possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. ... Weapon possession, as a crime, consists of that circumstance in which a person who is not legally authorised to carry a concealed weapon is found in possession of such a weapon. ... .44 Magnum The . ... Porsche Cayenne S Turbo Porsche Cayenne S rear The Porsche Cayenne is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by the German automaker Porsche since 2002. ...

On April 26th, Eriksson's accomplice Carl Freer was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a police officer, perjury, and other unspecified charges stemming from the discovery of 12 rifles and four handguns during searches of his estate and his 100-foot yacht docked at Marina del Rey.^[16] April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... Identity theft (or identity fraud) is the deliberate assumption of another persons identity, usually to gain access to their finances or frame them for a crime. ... Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under oath or affirmation in a court of law or in any of various sworn statements in writing. ... Marina del Rey boat harbor Marina del Rey is a census-designated place and seaside town located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, California. ...

On May 9th, police raided the San Gabriel Valley Transit Authority (a car body shop), arresting its owner and confiscating guns, badges and a vehicle equipped to be an unmarked police car.^[17] May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ...

Update: May 17 - 199 mph !!! - that's the speed the Ferrari Enzo topped out at before the crash! Investigators today confirmed there was a videotape of the accident shot from inside the car. The video showed the speedometer read 199 mph right before it malfunctioned due to the crash. The tape is believed to be with Trevor Karney, the passenger in the Enzo. [3] May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ...

On November 3, 2006, a mistrial was declared, when the jury was deadlocked 10-2 toward convicting Eriksson. The prosecution has indicated their intent to retry the case. [4] November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Eriksson accepted a plea bargain for three years in jail. Afterwards he will be deported. He pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement and one count of illegal gun possession. He avoided an auto theft charge. With allowance for time served and good behavior, he should be out of prison in about a year. ^[18]

Reference

The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

External links

• LA Times Life in Fast Lane Long Before Ferrari Crash, Published May 15, 2006
• Xero Mobile Eriksson's latest venture
• (Swedish) kong.se on Gizmondo and the criminal connections (link updated)
• {http://malibutimes.com/articles/2006/03/29/news/news2.eml, Real facts
• wreckedexotics.com Synopsis of the Enzo crash