Ryan Lochte and three other American swimmers were robbed at gunpoint early Sunday by thieves posing as police officers who stopped their taxi and took their money and belongings, the U.S. Olympic Committee said. NBC News reported Conger and Bentz were taken to a police station for questioning, joined by a U.S. Consulate representative dispatched to assist them.
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Brazilian Judge Keyla Blank on Wednesday ordered Lochte and James Feigen, another swimmer involved in the incident, to stay in the country and have their passports confiscated.
The alleged incident took place on Sunday, after the duo – along with compatriots Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger – had attended a party they were invited to by Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira.
Ostrow said Lochte, a gold medal victor in Rio, had “fully cooperated with the Brazilian authorities while in Rio”.
“I’m just trying to give Brazil what they need or what they want and get out of here, ” Feigen told USA TODAY Sports during a telephone interview.
Federal police in Brazil stopped U.S. Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger from boarding a flight to the United States at Rio de Janeiro’s global airport on Wednesday, O Globo newspaper reported on its Web site.
The removal came amid increasing tension between Brazilian authorities and the American swimmers over their account of the robbery.
The plane incident follows reports that a Brazilian judge issued a search and seizure warrant for Lochte and Feigen’s passports as questions emerged about their accounts of the incident. The swimmers didn’t speak to reporters as they left the airport, shuttled away by a black auto waiting outside.
Questions have been raised about the swimmers’ accounts after time-stamped CCTV recordings showed the swimmers returning to their accommodation at 7am – not 4am as alleged. For Americans, its unfolding like a sequel to the hit movie “The Hangover”.
The British Olympic Association told CNN on Thursday that one of its athletes had been a victim of theft in Rio.
At first, the International Olympic Committee denied that anything had happened.
“As part of our standard security protocol, we do not make athlete travel plans public and therefore can not confirm the athletes’ current location”, Sandusky said. But Lochte’s lawyer Jeffrey Ostrow told the BBC that Lochte returned to the US two days ago.
But his behavior reportedly seen on the security surveillance at the Olympic Village has the Brazilian judge implying it might not have ever happened. Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Brazilian officials who addressed the media early Thursday morning at the airport said they were holding the passports of Conger and Bentz.
Two teammates – Ryan Lochte and James Feigen – were barred from leaving the country, but Lochte had already left.
They said they were in a taxi in the early hours of the morning when armed men carrying police badges pulled them over.
Ostrow added that the “fact remains they were robbed at gunpoint”. Olympic officials said police were still looking for key witnesses, including the driver of the taxi the swimmers said they were in. Steve Lochte said. “It’s just ridiculous”.
It was initially unclear whether they were stopped soon after boarding or near the Olympic Village.
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One police source told Reuters that Feigen was also detained at the airport but another source said that authorities had gone to pick up Feigen who was also supposed to be on the same Wednesday flight but did not find him. Lochte told Lauer from NBC on Wednesday, however, that the gunman pointed the gun at him, but it wasn’t against his head.
