Brazilian Police Recommend US Swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen Face Charges After Robbery Claim
Last edited Thu Aug 18, 2016, 10:22 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: ABC NEWS
Police in Rio de Janeiro have recommended that U.S. Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen face charges of false reporting of a crime, a civil police spokesperson said.
The recommendation follows assertions by Brazil's police today that Lochte, Feigen and two other U.S. swimmers who said they were held up at gunpoint in Rio were not robbed.
In a statement, Lochte's lawyer, Jeffrey Ostrow, said he wasn't aware of "the federal police recommending charges for filing a false police report."
"I am not surprised to hear it though. They've gone this far and have failed to acknowledge that the robbery actually took place, so that would be the natural next step," the statement said. "A gun was pointed at the swimmers and they were forced to get out of their cab and give up their money. No matter what happened at that gas station, the swimmers were robbed by people with a gun appearing to be law enforcement. No matter what country you are in that is robbery and robbery is a serious crime."
Editor's Note: The story has been updated to reflect that the swimmers have not been indicted. Police have recommended charges, but prosecutors have to decide whether or not to approve.
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/ryan-lochte-james-feigen-indicted-rio-de-janeiro/story?id=41496292
Original report from ABC:
Ryan Lochte, James Feigen Indicted in Brazil After Robbery Claim
Authorities in Rio de Janeiro have indicted U.S. Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen on charges of false reporting of a crime, the Federal Police of Brazil confirmed.
The indictments follow assertions by Brazil's police today that Lochte, Feigen and two other U.S. swimmers who said they were held up at gunpoint in Rio were not robbed.
One or more of the U.S. Olympic swimmers vandalized a bathroom at a gas station after the four left a party early Sunday, according to Rio's Civil Police Chief Fernando Veloso. The athletes broke mirrors and damaged other things in the bathroom, police said.
The athletes initially refused to stay at the gas station, but security asked the taxi not to leave. Another person stepped in to translate between the athletes and the guards, and the athletes left money, police said.
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(same link as the revised report above with this original reporting replaced)
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Gidney N Cloyd
(19,833 posts)F**k 'em all. 
George II
(67,782 posts)
LuckyLib
(6,819 posts)
hlthe2b
(102,225 posts)Everyone loses on this one...
C Moon
(12,212 posts)Aside from trying to make Brazil look bad.
I guess it will get clearer as the days go by.
Chico Man
(3,001 posts)Has been a common theme of the US media coverage of the Rio Olympics. Having spent some time in Latin America, it's really quite a shame. We live in such a bubble up here.
C Moon
(12,212 posts)Chico Man
(3,001 posts)Some 20 somethings destroyed a basement bathroom at a dive bar in Philly last year. I happened to be the first to walk in after the damage was done. They had shattered the toilet and the water was spraying everywhere.
Alcohol certainly brings out the worst in some, and apparently sometimes for no reason whatsoever.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Because the costs involved, swim coach, training, pools, etc. but not sure.
I did find more on Ryan Lochte.
Ryan Lochte was born in Rochester, New York, the son of Ileana "Ike" (née Aramburu) and Steven R. Lochte.[2] His mother is Cuban and was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, while his father is of German, Dutch and English descent.[3] He has two older sisters, Kristin, and Megan, and two younger brothers, Devon, and Brandon. During his early childhood, his family lived in Canandaigua, New York, but moved to Florida so his father could coach swimming. Lochte was taught to swim at the age of five by both of his parents. Ryan was often kicked out of his father's swimming classes for misbehaving, which often included pulling other children's legs, blowing bubbles, and hiding at the other end of the pool. Lochte only began taking swimming seriously when he was in junior high school.[4] Steve Lochte said, "I would send him to go shower when he was messing around. He spent more time in the showers than he did in the pool." At 14 years old, Ryan's loss at the Junior Olympics changed his attitude towards swimming: "I suddenly said, 'I'm sick of losing'. After that I trained hard and I never lost there again."[5]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Lochte
C Moon
(12,212 posts)Chakab
(1,727 posts)political corruption, income inequality, a flawed criminal justice system and violent crime in low income areas as if those aren't all problems in the US.
Chico Man
(3,001 posts)
Judi Lynn
(160,516 posts)
Meshuga
(6,182 posts)The typical arrogant attitude to which they view people from all countries south of the border.
It is the same type of disdain that enables someone like Lochte to literally piss on Brazil.
You see cases where someone blames his/her own crime on a non-existing black person to get away with it, since many are willing to easily accept that a black person is capable of the crime. Well, the attitude by some towards Brazil in the Lochte case is sadly similar.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)The security guard pulling a gun and taking 400 dollars in damages....that's not how legal situations work. Brazil demanding 11,000 to return a passport. Ryan for saying he was robbed 400 dollars but didn't say they knocked over a door.
And in all this I still think it's overblown and ridiculous.
I still say "hero" to Americans phelps is worse for TWO DUIs which seemed to be forgiven. 
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)The story grew after Lochte’s mother told USA Today that her son and the other swimmers — later identified as Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen — were “shaken up” after having their wallets taken.
An International Olympic Committee spokesman first said the robbery reports were “absolutely not true.” But Lochte confirmed the encounter later Sunday during a beach interview with NBC’s Billy Bush.
“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over,” Lochte said. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground.”
“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials,” he added.
The Teardown
The mystery of the purported crime deepened after police were unable to find the taxi driver said to be involved in the incident or corroborate any details the American athletes gave them, Reuters reported Wednesday.
The news agency also said a Brazilian judge issued an order to seize the passports of Lochte and Feigen to prevent them from leaving the country because of inconsistencies in accounts of their robbery and needed to be questioned further.
Lochte had already flown back to the U.S. by then, but Brazilian officials on Wednesday removed Conger and Bentz from a plane at Rio International Airport.
On Thursday, Brazilian authorities suggested the U.S. swimmers fabricated the story following an incident in which they vandalized a gas station’s bathroom and then paid for the damage on the spot.
Video footage captured over the course of the night in question shows the athletes interacting with gas station employees and security guards. They can be seen in the edited tape entering a bright yellow taxi and exiting it apparently after a man confronts them. At least one passenger appears to open his wallet as he leaves the vehicle as another passenger exits with his hands up.
http://time.com/4458405/ryan-lochte-rio-robbery-olympics/
He clearly made that shit about as nd that appears to be to issue particularly with the jeers at the airport.
Also the two swimmers admitted Lochte tale was a fabrication.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-sp-oly-rio-2016-three-of-ryan-lochte-s-u-s-swimming-1471525979-htmlstory.html
Judi Lynn
(160,516 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Chakab
(1,727 posts)crimes and then told lies about it in the international media.
Should they not be charged because they are American Olympians?
Seriously, I don't even understand why anybody is defending these guys. This isn't an Amanda Knox redux. They aren't being framed.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Chakab
(1,727 posts)Chico Man
(3,001 posts)Basically, don't do stupid shit.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Some places they are extremely common (El Salvador).
Meshuga
(6,182 posts)...assisted with translation (a local DJ).
Their side of the story is that the security guards tried to contain the swimmers after they vandalized the bathroom, so they could call the police. One of the security guards is also a cop.
At one point Lochte and another swimmer walked away towards the street to get away while the other two were detained by one security guard.
Lochte and the other swimmer angrily walked back towards the security guard, saying things the security guard could not understand. The security guard felt intimidated because the swimmers were much bigger guys so he drew his gun. The other security guard saw what was happening, so he walked towards the group and also drew his gun.
The DJ saw what was happening and offered to be the translator.
The DJ said that the American swimmers pleaded not to call the police and said they would pay for the damages.
The security guard said that it costs about RS$100.00 (about US$30.00) to put up a poster, so the americans offered two RS$50.00 bills and a US$20.00 bill to pay for the damages. A total of US$50.00.
The swimmers gave the money to the DJ who then gave it to one of the security guards.
The store owner is not pressing charges because the swimmers paid for the damages.
Anyway, here are articles from the Brazilian media relating the story above. It is in Portuguese, but you can read it using google translator:
http://g1.globo.com/rio-de-janeiro/olimpiadas/rio2016/noticia/2016/08/nadadores-pediram-para-que-policia-nao-fosse-chamada-diz-testemunha.html
http://g1.globo.com/rio-de-janeiro/olimpiadas/rio2016/noticia/2016/08/muito-alterados-diz-seguranca-que-abordou-nadadores-dos-eua-no-rio.html
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)
Kingofalldems
(38,451 posts)Poster is right.
B2G
(9,766 posts)In the video, it looked like they were only in there for like 30 seconds. How much damage could have been done?
Why was the security video edited to not show the guard drawing his gun? Why was the cop in the presser speculating and editorializing, while insisting to the investigation was ongoing? Did they even file a report?
Lots of unanswered questions.
Meshuga
(6,182 posts)See my other post in this thread.
One of the security guards has been interviewed by Brazilian TV and so has the person who acted as a translator during the incident.
The police had been contacted and that is how they were able to link the incident at the gas station to the alleged robbery.
B2G
(9,766 posts)It was added after the fact.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)Per tmz the damage was a small crack on the plastic sign.
B2G
(9,766 posts)Are they serious??
LisaL
(44,973 posts)Who apparently wanted the money for damages to the bathroom.
"Still, the description of the security guard’s use of a gun dovetailed with Mr. Lochte’s follow-up explanations of the episode, raising the possibility that the men had felt during the confusion of the moment that they were being pressured to hand over their money."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/sports/olympics/police-say-ryan-lochte-lied-about-gunpoint-assault.html
trueblue2007
(17,205 posts)Editor's Note: The story has been updated to reflect that the swimmers have not been indicted. Police have recommended charges, but prosecutors have to decide whether or not to approve.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)
