The Ryan Lochte scandal has taken another turn.
According to CNBC Now, Rio police have formally accused Lochte and three of his Olympic swim teammates of falsely reporting a crime.
https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/766391624662482944
Lochte initially told the press they were robbed at a Brazillian party and reported the crime to Brazillian police. Lochte and Jimmy Feigen were ordered to stay in Brazil. The story quickly changed to robbed at a gas station. It was then revealed Lochte and company got into an altercation at the gas station, where they reportedly pissed on the doors.
Lochte quickly fled the country as his story began to crack, while his teammates, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Feigen were stuck in Brazil – with the former two being detained at a Rio airport. According to authorities, the group was so drunk they couldn’t give an accurate description of the robbery. Later, it was revealed the two security guards pointed guns at the swimmers, but no robbery appeared to happen. Lochte’s teammates eventually admitted to police Lochte was lying.
Basically, the story has gone batshit crazy. Here’s an excellent tl;dr version:
Lochte's trip to Rio:
1. Win gold medal
2. Get drunk
3. Vandalize bathroom
4. Pretend he was robbed
5. Get caught lying
6. Flee country— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) August 18, 2016
At this point, it’s going to be hard not to believe whatever crazy story comes out next. Lochte and his teammates come across very poorly in all these reports. If he was honest in the first place, this would be a much smaller story than it is. Police are now recommending charges to Lochte and Feigen for reporting a crime. It’s a national embarrassment.
UPDATE: Police recommend charges against U.S. Olympic swimmers Lochte and Feigen for falsely reporting a crime – Brazil's GloboNews
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 18, 2016
It’s doubtful Lochte or other swimmers will face jail time, but at this rate, all of the goodwill they’ve earned from winning medals at Olympics is gone. Jeah.
