A former teenage soccer star from Bermuda has been re-arrested in Atlanta in connection with an armed robbery and car-jacking, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Now Wolde Place faces a court appearance next month on the charges, according to the Atlanta District Attorney's office.

The shock move last month came a year-and-a-half after a judge threw out the case after a prosecutor failed to appear.

Place and his co-accused had faced at least ten years in jail if convicted -- without the chance of parole. According to a spokeswoman for the Atlanta D.A.'s office, Place was re-arrested on July 8 and remanded in custody pending a court appearance in September.

And she confirmed that the charges related to the car-jacking incident dating back to December, 1997.

But yesterday Place's mother Christine, of Pembroke, was staying tight-lipped over the latest twist in the long-running legal saga -- but denied her son was detained in the area's Fulton County Prison.

She said: "Wolde is not in custody -- that's it.'' International Business Educational Award winner and Atlanta Metro College student Place, then 19, and fellow Bermudian Austin Simons, 20 at the time, were arrested with Neal Daniel of the British Virgin Islands in December 13.

The three were held for six weeks following their alleged robbery at gunpoint of Atlanta student Fraanje Vandiver at a set of traffic lights near Georgia Institute of Technology.

Place and Simons were both offered bail of $50,000 in January, 1998, by Judge Craig Schwall -- just a week before he kicked the case out of court.

Mr. Vandiver was forced from his car at gunpoint by several men, ordered to lie on the ground and had his wallet and keys stolen. When Mr. Vandiver ran off, two shots were fired, although he was unhurt. A local resident who heard gunfire called police and the three were arrested near the scene.

Place was charged with armed robbery, carjacking and aggravated assault. He also faced allegations of possession of a firearm in commission of a robbery, pointing a gun at another and possession of marijuana.

Mr. Simons was accused of armed robbery, carjacking and possession of marijuana and Daniel was also charged with offences in connection of the incident.

A Police search of the three men, however, failed to find Mr. Vandiver's wallet or keys.

Place's parents said they were delighted at Judge Schwall's decision to throw out the case and said their son was looking forward to putting the legal ordeal behind him and getting back to his studies.

Place -- who lived in Peachtree Street, northeast Atlanta, at the time of the incident -- is an ex-pupil of the Berkeley Institute and a former Secondary Schools All-Star soccer player, turning out for the east-west fixture in 1995.