Los Angeles sheriffs and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested the suspect in the latest twist in the case linked to the sexual assault allegations against one of the world's best-known sportsmen.

"A man has been arrested for proposing to murder the alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case," a law enforcement source told AFP.

Details of the arrest were due to be made public in an announcement by sheriffs later Thursday.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Bryant was arrested in July and charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman employee at a luxury spa resort in the western state of Colorado on June 30.

The 25-year-old, who is a role model and hero to millions of basketball fans, faces up to life in jail if convicted on the felony charge which is equivalent to rape under Colorado law.

The married Bryant, who is free on 25,000 dollars bail, has strongly denied the allegations of rape but as conceded that he had sex with the woman.

Prosecutors, Bryant's accuser, police and even the judge in the highly-publicized case have reported receiving menacing messages and even death threats from people apparently angered at the charges against Bryant.

The Lakers guard is due to appear in court in the town of Eagle, near where the alleged assault took place, on October 9 for a preliminary hearing aimed at evaluating whether there is enough evidence to go to trial.

LOS ANGELES - A Swiss national who police say approached Kobe Bryant with an offer to kill -- for $3 million -- the Colorado woman who had accused him of rape was arrested on Thursday after he was turned in by the basketball star's security team.

Patrick Graber, who was living in the Los Angeles suburb of El Segundo on an expired visa and claimed to be a member of the Russian mafia, was taken into custody after accepting a bag full of money to kill the woman from undercover officers, police said.

Graber, 31, told the officers he would kill the 19-year-old woman, a hotel concierge and college student, for $3 million and provide proof of the deed, possibly with a photograph of her body, Los Angeles Sheriff's Lt. Jim Taylor said.

Taylor said Graber, a physically imposing bodybuilding coach who identified himself as "Yuri," made his initial offer to Bryant in a letter that was intercepted by the basketball star's security staff, who contacted authorities.

"He was soliciting them to commit a murder, through the mail," Taylor said, adding that police believed that Graber was serious in his threats and intended to carry them out within the week.

"He could make her not come to court, he could make her disappear, he could make her have a drug overdose. He was specific in that manner," Taylor said, adding that Graber accepted a bag that contained mostly fake money from a movie studio at the meeting with undercover officers.

It was not immediately clear if authorities believed Graber's alleged statements that he was involved with organized crime but said he appeared to know personal information about Bryant's accuser and her family.

"This individual, by his actions and statements and who he was involved with made us believe his threat was credible," Taylor said. "He alleged he was involved in organized crime."

Attorney's for Bryant's accuser, who has not been identified by most mainstream media, were not immediately available for comment on the arrest. Authorities said they had told the woman, her family, and other parities involved in the Bryant rape case, about the threat.

Bryant is scheduled to face a preliminary hearing in the case on Oct. 9 that will determine if he should stand trial on a charge of felony sexual assault, the equivalent of rape under Colorado law.