This all comes on the heels of Brazilian police saying earlier Thursday that Lochte and his USA teammates were not robbed after a night of partying, and that the intoxicated athletes instead vandalized a gas station bathroom and were questioned by armed guards before they paid for the damage and left. “They were not victims of the crimes they claimed”, Fernando Veloso, chief of civil police, said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
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“There was no robbery as the way it was reported or claimed by the athletes”, Veloso stated. Brazilian police said there was no evidence of violence against the athletes, who are accused of breaking mirrors and damaging the bathroom.
Their teammate, Jimmy Feigen, has remained in Brazil and is cooperating with authorities, along with Bentz and Conger, said U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky. Another person stepped in to interpret between the athletes and the guards, and the athletes left money, police said. Conger, Bentz and Feigen are expected to provide additional testimony to Brazilian officials in the coming days. His lawyer earlier said he gave police a statement as representatives from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Olympic Committee and the Federal Bureau of Investigation observed.
“All are represented by counsel and being appropriately supported by the USOC and the U.S. Consulate in Rio”, Sandusky said.
De Cnop added that Lochte told police there was one robber, while Feigen said there were more, one of whom had a gun.
By the time of her order, Lochte had already returned to the United States.
The men also said the robbery took place on the way home from a club, which they left at 4 a.m.
Lochte, 32, spoke with authorities before leaving Brazil this week.
Bentz and Conger were pulled off their flight Wednesday night.
Lochte told NBC News’ Matt Lauer on Wednesday that the swimmers had used a restroom at a gas station and when they got back to their taxi, the driver didn’t move.
“The authorities know how to get in touch with me, and we would cooperate”, Ostrow said.
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Surveillance video obtained by Brazil’s Globo TV shows the swimmers at a gas station.
