Bentz, Feigen and Conger were detained by Rio police before heading back to the USA, and in follow-up statements revealed that they had indeed urinated behind the gas station and that Lochte tore a poster out of a metal frame on a wall before armed security demanded money from them. The gas station manager accused the swimmers of vandalizing an area near the bathroom.
Advertisement
The penalty for filing a false crime report in the country carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail, The AP reports.
All four of Mr Lochte’s main corporate sponsors have cut ties with the swimmer, putting his professional future in doubt.
Detective Clemente Braune told Fox News that Lochte will have to appear in person in a Brazilian court if he wants the opportunity for a plea deal.
Just days after losing all four of his major sponsors, Ryan Lochte has found a bit of redemption and signed a new endorsement deal with Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops. He will appear in ads for the company. Lochte returned to the USA two days before the announcement while Feigen agreed to pay an $11,000 charitable donation to leave the country.
Feigen was briefly detained before agreeing to donate a sum of almost $11,000 (£8,300/€9,700) to a Brazilian charity.
In an interview with NBC, Lochte backtracked and said he “overexaggerated” the story. He insisted, however, that he did not lie, but still issued an apology. “Brazil doesn’t deserve that”.
A Brazilian court summoned him to testify about his “robbery” claims that took place August 14.
Brazil had deployed 85,000 police and soldiers to secure the Games. Details of the charge might also be sent to the International Olympic Committee, which has formed an ethics committee to investigate the gas station incident. Blackmun did not offer specifics but expressed frustration at their behavior.
Advertisement
“There was no robbery of the kind reported by the athletes”, Veloso said.
