Posted on 08/18/2016 7:49:20 PM PDT by drewh
US swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen were indicted by Rio de Janeiro authorities on charges of making a false police report, ABC News reported Thursday.
Brazilian police said earlier Thursday that the famous swimmer and his U.S. 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.
The robbery that was or wasnt has become the biggest spectacle outside of the Olympic venues in Rio, and given American Olympians a black eye in Brazil after an otherwise remarkable run at the Summer Games. The ordeal was also a blow to Brazilians, who for months endured scrutiny about whether a city that has long had problems with violence would be able to keep athletes and tourists safe.
No robbery was committed against these athletes. They were not victims of the crimes they claimed, Civil Police Chief Fernando Veloso said during an afternoon news conference.
The swimmers could potentially face punishment probation, suspension, a fine or expulsion under USA Swimmings code of conduct, which prohibits dishonesty or fraud. It was not immediately clear if the organization planned to act.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalpost.com ...
An LA radio sportscaster, ex-NFL guy, who knows Rio pretty well thinks that there is more to this story that Lochte and his pals are keeping to themselves. He thinks that they had been in the bordellos, got drunk, and got themselves “robbed” when they didn’t want to pay up. The taxi story was their attempt at explaining how they lost their stuff without revealing embarrassing details. Unfortunately for them that story got the full attention of Brazilian authorities, just the opposite of what Lochte hoped for.
Could very well be. Maybe that’s why he told Mommy they were robbed - cause they were out of money.
“We have a wuss for a president. Or our people wouldnt be held all over the world.”
The swimmer that is there broke their laws.
Happens more than we like——usually drug related.
Lori Berenson was a prisoner(not drug related)in Peru for TWENTY YEARS and the girl that was arrested for murder in Italy was held for several years.
.
.
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Oh, and it cost him a lot more than his cash-on-hand, there go the sponsorship’s, He’s toast either way.
I’m beginning to think this was a classic South American shakedown at the gas station. The video does not show the guys tearing up anything in the bathroom. The aren’t even stumbling around or acting stupid on the video.
Here is my theory, the sign on the bathroom is in Spanish or Portuguese and they did not understand it had said that is was out of order. So they accidentally broke it opening the door trying to use the bathroom and went ahead and used the restroom not knowing it was out of order.
The security guard(s) or owner saw an opportunity to shakedown some tourists for some extra cash and went for it. A shakedown is still robbery but maybe the swimmers were too embarrassed to admit to that. It sounds too much like a classic shakedown from that area of the world. Lochte should have just been upfront with his mother about that, if that was the case, and moved on before it spun out of control.
CGato
maybe, but I think there were CCTV vids of them leaving France House and then getting to the gas station right about in the time frame specified, and then arriving at the Olympic Village. I think the “new and corrected” account of the police is accounted for by 3 separate CCTV feeds, 3 separate locations, from what I saw tonight. Their problem is that the gas station episode does not match up at all with the “pulled over and robbed at gunpoint by police” tale which originally got all the publicity.
If that were the case, why would they not have told the correct story from the beginning??
You have a link about the “compromised” video?
I am still forming an opinion.
Thank you!
If I read the facts correctly, Lochte first told his mother that story and it was Lochte's mother that spoke out about the robbery that led to the investigation. It's hard to tell why he didn't give his mother the correct story, it could be he was just too embarrassed to tell her he had gotten scammed.
CGato
When I watched the video, a gas station employee standing by a pump, moved back to avoid their approach when they realized they were trying to get in the wrong cab and walked to the next lane to get into another cab. He obviously was trying to avoid a confrontation. That behavior spoke volumes regarding their aggressive appearance.
Ryan’s stock as a product endorser has just plummeted.
Ironic, seeing that of the two top swimmers Ryan and Mike Phelps, Ryan has more pizazz to his personality and is more telegenic. Turns out, there is something off putting about Ryan, (poor decision making skills, maybe?) and he tends to showboat.
No rush to judgment here. I watched Lochte give his account to the press the following day as Fox News began to air different perspectives of the event and the gas station surveillance videos.
He obviously changed the story to embellish his position and to intentionally omit pertinent facts, even falsely accusing others of false events. IMHO, we still don't have the whole story, but based purely upon his testimony and the recorded events, he bore false testimony to the press.
And that could be why, even though he may have been a victim in this, it blew out of proportion for him.
CGato
Sorry, it looks to me like these boys lied to the world, insulted their host country, for stupid selfish reasons. I’m disgusted.
It’s not the “word” of the Brazilians, there is CCTV footage before, during, and after which undermines the story of the swimmers. There is nothing to support their story and plenty to contradict it.
Agreed. This could be another Nifong thing.
Do I need to tone it down :)
Please be honest!
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