Officials talk to Mayo accuser

"His take on the situation is not just O.J., but the kids that get wrapped up in situations like this, they're kind of the victim because on the large part they're kids that grew up with nothing," Murphy said. "People like in O.J.'s situation, they're on the doorstep of having everything. They have people dangling the carrot in front of their face, and no matter how decent of a person you are you'd be hard-pressed to not at least take a long look at that."

Johnson initially reached out to ESPN, Murphy said, in an effort to expose the relationship among Mayo, Guillory and BDA because he feared that an associate of Guillory's might physically harm him.

Johnson's attorneys would not disclose their client's location but said they were confident he was safe.

Murphy said he also spoke Wednesday with Danny Kim, a special agent from the California Department of Justice who is investigating whether funds from a sickle cell anemia charity were illegally used to pay for benefits to Mayo.

Johnson told ESPN that Tony Hicks, chief executive of the L.A.-based National Organization of Sickle Cell Prevention and Awareness Foundation, allowed Guillory to use an American Express card registered to the charity. As for the legitimacy of the organization, Murphy said Johnson couldn't comment "because he wasn't aware of it until very late" in his relationship with Guillory.

Johnson's attorneys said the various investigations could last months and the timetable could hinge on the cooperation of the parties involved. Mayo has said he would oblige investigators.

As for Guillory, "He's the guy that's the conduit," Salerno said. "If anyone knows anything about relationships with agencies, it's going to be him."

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ben.bolch@latimes.com

lance.pugmire@latimes.com