Rio police also stated a copy of the evidence could be sent over to the International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission.
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As we’ve reported, Lochte told his mother, police and the press that he and three other USA swimmers were robbed at gunpoint earlier this month after thieves posing as police stopped the taxi they were traveling in.
The swimmer later amended the details of his story and apologised for his drunken account. CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee hinted that there will be more repercussions to follow for Lochte and the other swimmers.
If found guilty of lying in his declarations, Lochte could face at least six months in a Brazilian prison. Although Lochte has since left the country, criminal proceedings can continue in his absence and he can opt to send a lawyer in his stead.
One police official quoted by Brazilian media said the 32-year-old gold medal-winner risks a jail sentence, though judicial authorities had yet to confirm that.
Two days after he lost corporate endorsements because of the gas station incident, United States swimmer Ryan Lochte found a new endorsement deal.
Lochte, a member of the US’s successful 4×200 metres freestyle relay team at Rio 2016, flew out of Brazil after the Games before he could be questioned about the alleged false claim. In an interview with NBC, Lochte backtracked and said he “overexaggerated” the story.
Brazilian police on August 25 said Lochte will be informed of the indictment so he can decide whether to introduce a defense in Brazil.
The swimmers initially claimed that their taxi had been stopped by armed men posing as policemen who then demanded money.
Several sponsors, including clothing manufacturer Speedo, dropped the swimmer in the wake of the incident.
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It was later revealed that the group – which included James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger – vandalized a gas station, an incident captured in CCTV footage obtained by PEOPLE.
