Disgraced former American footballer O.J. Simpson could be released on parole as soon as Monday in Las Vegas under a plan being finalized by Nevada officials.

State Department of Corrections spokeswoman Brooke Keast said: “process culminating in freedom for the former football player, actor and TV pitchman is in motion, but must be approved and documents must be signed”.

Meanwhile, the 70-year-old Simpson remains at Lovelock Correctional Center – the medium security prison in Nevada where he has been serving his sentence in northern Nevada awaiting transfer to High Desert State Prison outside Las Vegas, where he would be freed, Keast said.

Simpson’s release is expected after nine years behind bars for his 2008 armed robbery and kidnapping convictions following a confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room.

He was sentenced to up to 33 years, but won parole in July due to good behavior and other credits earned in custody.

A state parole board set Sunday, October 1, as the date Simpson becomes eligible for parole. Once released, he will be supervised by the state Division of Parole and Probation until Sept. 29, 2022.

Simpson, 70, plans to relocate to Florida following his release from the Lovelock Correctional Center, play golf and be around his friends and family, said his lawyer, Malcolm Lavernock.

“He is getting very, very excited. He’s feeling very upbeat”, LaVergne told KTNV -TV in Las Vegas.

Simpson was granted parole at a hearing in July and his earliest release date was set for October 1 . Since that falls on a Sunday, Simpson is expected to be freed no earlier than Monday , according to his lawyer and media reports .

Simpson claimed at his trial that he was just seeking to recover personal items from the dealers and he repeated that explanation at his parole board hearing in July , where the four -member panel voted unanimously for his release .

“I had no intent to commit a crime, If I would have made a better judgment back then, none of this would have never happened.”

Dismissing any possibility of Simpson posing as a threat, LaVergne said: “He’s had perfect performance as a prisoner, I anticipate he’ s going to have perfect performance as a parolee.”

At the hearing , Simpson said he was “at a point in my life where all I want to do is spend time , as much time as I can , with my children and my friends”.

“Believe it or not I do have some real friends,” he said.