The fourth, Jimmy Feigen, made a deal with a judge to make a $10,800 payment and leave, his lawyer said.
Advertisement
The special Olympics judge accepted a request from Rio prosecutors that the amount should be increased from 35,000 reais to 150,000, or about $11,000 to $47,000.
However, Bentz’s statement was also critical of Lochte’s behavior.
While Bentz placed the blame on Lochte for instigating the trouble at the gas station early Sunday, he also supported a number of details in Lochte’s account. “All we know was there was a gun pointed in our direction and were demanded to give money”.
“I am confident that some video angles have not been shown that would further substantiate my account”.
Bentz’s apology follows one from Lochte earlier in the day on social media.
“I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend – for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreams of participating in the Olympics”, he said on Twitter.
The swimmers’ accusations were an embarrassment for Rio officials, and police quickly began questioning Lochte’s claims.
“But regardless of the behaviour of anyone else that night I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself, and for that I am sorry to my team-mates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors and the hosts of this great event”. “I am very proud to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided”. At some point, they make their way back to the bathroom, where police say they vandalized one of the stalls. He said he refused to get on the ground like the rest of his teammates and a gun was cocked and put to his forehead.
However, police called this a lie, and Rio’s mayor said on Friday he had “pity and contempt” for the swimmers.
In a statement, Gunnar Bentz said that he and teammates Ryan Lochte, James Feigen, and Jack Conger had guns drawn on them by two security guards after the swimmers “foolishly relieved ourselves” behind the gas station after a night partying with fellow athletes. Bentz and Conger talked with authorities on Thursday and were whisked through airport security and got on a plane that night. Rio civil police disagreed, claiming that the athletes had vandalized the gas station bathroom while intoxicated.
Lochte, 32, has said he plans to take an extended break after the Rio Games and relocate to Los Angeles.
Advertisement
Lochte has since returned to the U.S. alongside his teammates Conger and Bentz. And, according to the summary of his statement, “the story told by Ryan to the USA media was different that that which (Gunnar) said really happened”. The situation was an enormous embarrassment for the U.S. Olympic team, which has dominated in winning medals. O Globo reported that he is being ordered to donate $11,000 to a local sports charity to drop the charges against him and leave the country.
