Rio de Janeiro, Aug 20: Brazil’s justice system imposed a fine of 35,000 reais (around $10,800) on the United States swimmer James Feigen so that he could leave the country after falsely stating he had been a victim of an armed assault along with three of his other teammates in Rio de Janeiro, local media reported on Friday.
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Melaragno did not specify which charity would receive the money.
The lawyer for the fourth US swimmer, James Feigen, said the athlete would make a $10,800 “donation” and leave Brazil later in the day.
While Lochte had already left Rio before police sought him, Bentz and Conger weren’t so fortunate.
Decorated American swimmer Ryan Lochte stunned the world earlier this week by saying that he had been robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro – but that’s nothing compared to how stunned everyone was when it was revealed that Lochte had actually made the story up to cover up how he and some fellow swimmers had trashed a Brazilian gas station late at night.
Lochte’s teammate Bentz gave a statement to authorities, explaining a man who spoke English approached them and said the guards needed for them to pay for the damages or they would call the police.
They had testified about the incident earlier in the day.
“We just wanted to get out of there”, he said. Bentz and Conger answered questions for several hours at a Rio police station Thursday before flying out.
RIO DE JANEIRO A Brazilian judge provided another twist to the saga of four US swimmers embroiled in a scandal at the Rio Games, suspending permission for one of the athletes, Jimmy Feigen, to leave the country – even though he had flown home hours earlier.
They stopped at a gas station to use the restroom, where one of the athletes committed an act of vandalism.
They said the men, while intoxicated, were questioned by security guards over the damaged bathroom before handing over some cash and leaving in their taxi.
He said investigating officers grew suspicious when security video showed the swimmers returning to the athletes’ village wearing watches, which would have likely been taken in a robbery. Multiple airport security personnel escorted them through baggage claims and immigration. As Brazilian police investigated his robbery claim, and eventually held his teammates for questioning while they sorted out his story, he had tweeted he meant to dye it back.
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The United States Olympic Committee said in a statement the “behavior of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the vast majority of its members”. “They did not make any untruthful testimony”. “They did not lie”.
