In a strange twist, Ryan Lochte and friends have been ordered detained by a judge, and passports held, for the audacity of publicly stating they had been robbed. Considering they gave sworn statements to FOUR agencies, including US agencies which could charge them with filing a false report, I highly doubt such high profile people would make things up. The police claim that the four didn't initially file a report and they are investigating because the first person to break the story was Lochte's mom.

But the reason is that the robbers claimed to BE police, so what are you going to do? Go complain right away to a potentially crooked police force or just say "okay, they took my wallet, I can get a new one." Sure, it could have been fake cops, probably was, but you don't know. And even then, do you think they will care? (I tried to file a police report in Cannes, after being robbed. Good luck with that. As an American, basically they just talked to us nicely and said to go away. And that's France.)

Later when questioned by police, two swimmers claimed to be "too drunk to remember" the color of the taxi or the location, though they didn't claim the event didn't happen. Just that they didn't know where they were. Which isn't out of the realm of reality if you are in a foreign land with a group of people taking a taxi from one unfamiliar place to another.

So what exactly is the end game for Brazil here? Are they trying to convince the world how safe the country is by intimidating foreign Olympic champions? Or trying to cover for some crooked cops?

Luckily for Lochte, he didn't stay for the closing ceremony after being robbed, and instead flew home already. I guess he can't ever visit Rio again, not like he would want to at this point. Not sure where the other three swimmers are. Only one other, the one who didn't claim to be "too drunk" to know for sure, is being sought.

Only knowing what we are reading and hearing, one can't know for sure what happened. But I've never seen such speed and zealousness at trying to CYA before.

Rio/Brazil should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for ordering them detained. I'm very glad Lochte got the hell out of there.

Here is CNN report - apparently the facts don't seem to add up to Ryan Lochte's story. -> Go to questions remain under Judge's questions.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/17/sport/olympics-ryan-lochte-robbery-questions/index.html

Even though you are saying we cannot know for sure what happened, your title shows you already made up your mind.

Brazil is a dangerous place, and Rio is more dangerous in the middle of the night. Now this story deserves a bit of doubt. Thieves pretending to be cops? In Brazil thieves don't worry about such details. They will stop a car if they want to. A taxi driver will not want to stop for a police car in the middle of the night either. Cops only usually stop cars in a blitz with lots of cops, not a pursuit. Then in scary Rio one Olympic champion goes too drunk to remember, in the middle of the night, w/o security? Hmm...

Not impossible, but the story told in detail sounds very unlikely. Where is the taxi driver?

Wasn't his girlfriend waiting for him to arrive at their hotel... ???

Here is what is likely in Rio: Alcohol, sex and drugs.

Even if they're lying (what would be the motive ?) that's certainly not a good reason for detaining them, there isn't even a "victim" on the other side !

Aesma wrote:

Even if they're lying (what would be the motive ?) that's certainly not a good reason for detaining them, there isn't even a "victim" on the other side !

Well, making false statements to the police is a criminal offence in many nations. If it is considered a severe enough crime in Brazil to warrant significant penalty, what are they supposed to do? Let them leave and later ask the US to extradite them?
Here you can lie to police all you want, just not to judges, but different countries, different rules.

Best regards
Thomas

There are a number of inconsistencies in what happened during the reported robbery and what "normally" happens during a robbery in Rio. No self-respecting Rio bandit/fake police officer/corrupt police officer is going to leave you with a high end mobile phone and a fancy watch. Depending on the brand they will probably take your trainers as well, yet the group reported that only their money was taken. To anyone who has been to Rio that stands out as a bit odd, to say the least.

However, the judicial order to seize their passports is an exaggeration. Surely they could have clarified the situation during a friendly little chat?

tommy1808 wrote:

what are they supposed to do? Let them leave and later ask the US to extradite them?

Yes.

E2 wrote:

There are a number of inconsistencies in what happened during the reported robbery and what "normally" happens during a robbery in Rio. No self-respecting Rio bandit/fake police officer/corrupt police officer is going to leave you with a high end mobile phone and a fancy watch. Depending on the brand they will probably take your trainers as well, yet the group reported that only their money was taken. To anyone who has been to Rio that stands out as a bit odd, to say the least.

However, the judicial order to seize their passports is an exaggeration. Surely they could have clarified the situation during a friendly little chat?

Which barrio of Rio do you live in?

Some think they were caught up in a scam drug deal and trying to cover it up. A short time ago, allegedly two of the team members involved were stopped from leaving Brazil. A 3rd is still not secured. This sounds a lot like the fate of he bizjet pilots who had their passports seized and were kept from leaving the country for month in Brazil after their contact with the Gol plane and caused that plane to crash with all on board killed and the initial investigation. Let us not forget that Brazilian legal concepts are more like that of most countries in Europe, not the English/US concepts.
This is sounding real ugly. Someone is covering up something or maybe the Brazilian government or police trying to make a lesson of not messing with them. All 4 could lose millions in endorsement income, could lose their medals, prizes by the US Government/USOC or even be banned from further participation in the US swim team.

I don't think there was any order to detain Ryan, only take his passport so he would not leave the country. Which is totally unnecessary IMO.

PacificBeach88 wrote:

ltbewr wrote:

Some think they were caught up in a scam drug deal and trying to cover it up. A short time ago, allegedly two of the team members involved were stopped from leaving Brazil. A 3rd is still not secured. This sounds a lot like the fate of he bizjet pilots who had their passports seized and were kept from leaving the country for month in Brazil after their contact with the Gol plane and caused that plane to crash with all on board killed and the initial investigation. Let us not forget that Brazilian legal concepts are more like that of most countries in Europe, not the English/US concepts.
This is sounding real ugly. Someone is covering up something or maybe the Brazilian government or police trying to make a lesson of not messing with them. All 4 could lose millions in endorsement income, could lose their medals, prizes by the US Government/USOC or even be banned from further participation in the US swim team.

Please. Brazil is nothing more than a 3rd world banana republic these days, and sliding rapidly to a Putin'esque style Russian sh**hole.

Man, what is your deal?

tommy1808 wrote:

Aesma wrote:

Even if they're lying (what would be the motive ?) that's certainly not a good reason for detaining them, there isn't even a "victim" on the other side !

Well, making false statements to the police is a criminal offence in many nations. If it is considered a severe enough crime in Brazil to warrant significant penalty, what are they supposed to do? Let them leave and later ask the US to extradite them?
Here you can lie to police all you want, just not to judges, but different countries, different rules.

Best regards
Thomas

"What Happens When You File A False Police Report?

Regardless of the reasons, filing a false police report is a serious crime that carries real consequences.

. . .

Depending upon the jurisdiction, a false police report may be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. Misdemeanor charges may result in jail terms of one year or less. Typically, the defendant must also pay fines. If a person is charged with a felony, they may be looking at more than a year in jail and substantial fines. The person who made the false report may also be liable in a civil suit, such as if their report caused damage to another's reputation."

http://thelawdictionary.org/article/wha ... ce-report/


Going back to Lochte's case, I don't think any of this would have blown up as much as it did had it not been for the passport seizure order (which is an overreach IMO) and sensitive Americans freaking out about their athlete getting "trapped" in the country.

ssteve wrote:

tommy1808 wrote:

what are they supposed to do? Let them leave and later ask the US to extradite them?

Yes.

Why? Would the USA extradite someone for such a minor crime? Probably not...

Best regards
Thomas

ssteve wrote:

tommy1808 wrote:

what are they supposed to do? Let them leave and later ask the US to extradite them?

Yes.

I thought there was no extradition treaty between Brazil and the United States?

Anyway, these guys have given reports to the U.S. State Department, the FBI, the USOC, and the IOC, in addition to Brazilian authorities. Lochte has stated through his attorney that he'd have gladly stayed to assist in any way he could had the Brazilian government asked; they did not.

And if he's found to have filed a false report, Lochte and Co. will have to answer to the FBI, regardless of what Brazilian authorities wish.

This is just a theory and nothing more so do not read anything into it but one of my FB friends theorized that maybe one or more of them were visiting prostitutes? Just throwing it out there and there is probably nothing to it but....

Well, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were stopped at Rio airport and asked to answer questions today.

There's something fishy about this whole episode.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37114383

The Video: Surveillance footage taken as the team returned to Olympic village appears to show the swimmers passing valuables through a metal detector, despite telling police that items had been stolen.

The Robbers: Mr Feigen said several men robbed the group, but Mr Lochte told Brazilian authorities that one man who targeted the group.

The Gun: Mr Lochte initially told US media that the robber had placed a cocked pistol against his forehead, but in a later interview said that gun had only been pointed in his general vicinity.

The Encounter: Mr Lochte first claimed that their taxi was pulled over, but later said that the car was already stopped at a petrol station when the robber approached.

I wonder if they lost all their money on services from ladies of the night and then tried to pass off the fact that they had no money left because they had money robbed.

Fred

Four US Olympic swimmers who say they were robbed in Rio de Janeiro reportedly damaged a petrol station door during a night out, media reports say.
One Brazilian security source said they were involved in a dispute with security guards and asked to pay for the damage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37115778

Sorry, this doesn't sound like "intimidation", it sounds like a group of guys lied for some reason and its now gone well past a little white lie.

It seems that we are getting close to what actually happened.

The press are now reporting that the group stopped at a petrol station on the way back to the village, and did what groups of drunken yobs do on a regular basis. They broke the toilet door and didn't want to pay for the damages. The police were called and the security guard (armed, so that's where the gun story comes from) acted to prevent the group from leaving. Seeing that they weren't going to get away before the police turned up, they decided to pay for the damage and were then allowed to leave. There is apparently video evidence and witness statements that support this version, and it certainly explains why they weren't robbed of their phones, watches and sneakers.

http://espn.uol.com.br/noticia/623474_p ... re-assalto

So no sex, no drugs, no crooked cops, just too much booze on a night out.

E2 wrote:

So no sex, no drugs, no crooked cops, just too much booze on a night out.

Quite possibly. So why fabricate the whole robbery story and involve the police before doing a runner?

They're not looking like "poor intimidated victims of crime" now, are they? Sounds more like young idiots out on the lash and doing stupid shit. Then lying to cover it up, before trying to run away.

Quite possibly. So why fabricate the whole robbery story and involve the police before doing a runner?

Maybe because Olympic champions aren't supposed to behave like drunken hooligans?

E2 wrote:

Quite possibly. So why fabricate the whole robbery story and involve the police before doing a runner?

Maybe because Olympic champions aren't supposed to behave like drunken hooligans?

Is lying drunken hooligans better?

E2 wrote:

Maybe because Olympic champions aren't supposed to behave like drunken hooligans?

They wouldn't be the first and I doubt they'll be the last.

What the police are saying happened:

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro told the BBC's Wyre Davies that at about 06:00 (09:00 GMT) on Sunday, the four men had arrived by taxi at a petrol station in Barra da Tijuca, 16km (10 miles) from the Olympic Park.

One of the athletes broke the door to the bathroom, the police said, and petrol station attendants asked the Americans to pay for the damage.

A verbal dispute is said to have ensued with the attendants, and security guards were called to contain the incident. The police were also called.

While police were on their way, another customer at the petrol station served as interpreter for the athletes and helped agree payment for the damage.

When police arrived, the athletes had already gone after paying for the broken door, and they returned to the Olympic Village.

Video from CCTV appears to show the athletes being detained and ordered to sit on the ground.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37115778

scbriml wrote:

E2 wrote:

So no sex, no drugs, no crooked cops, just too much booze on a night out.

Quite possibly. So why fabricate the whole robbery story and involve the police before doing a runner?

They're not looking like "poor intimidated victims of crime" now, are they? Sounds more like young idiots out on the lash and doing stupid shit. Then lying to cover it up, before trying to run away.

They didn't do "a runner". They were all taking their normally scheduled flights home, drama queen.

moo wrote:

petrol station served as interpreter for the athletes and helped agree payment for the damage.

When police arrived, the athletes had already gone after paying for the broken door, and they returned to the Olympic Village.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37115778

Drunken young adults doing what drunken young adults do. Who cares? Except for the new Putin'esque Brazilian govt desperately trying to maintain any good press. Until the govt of Brazil returns to a democratically elected govt they should go pound sand. Glad, Lochte got out of their before the PR thugs could grab him.

You might want to re-think that title:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/sports/olympics/police-say-ryan-lochte-lied-about-gunpoint-assault.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

Speed-swimming dumbasses!
....synchronized swimmers would've been able to keep their stories straight.

PacificBeach88 wrote:

moo wrote:

petrol station served as interpreter for the athletes and helped agree payment for the damage.

When police arrived, the athletes had already gone after paying for the broken door, and they returned to the Olympic Village.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37115778

Drunken young adults doing what drunken young adults do. Who cares? Except for the new Putin'esque Brazilian govt desperately trying to maintain any good press. Until the govt of Brazil returns to a democratically elected govt they should go pound sand. Glad, Lochte got out of their before the PR thugs could grab him.

Lo the isn't exactly young, you can get away with stupid shit like this in your teens but not in your early thirties.

They can say goodbye to endorsements now. What a waste. What they actually did wasn't that bad. The lying is what is going to hurt them.

moo wrote:

Four US Olympic swimmers who say they were robbed in Rio de Janeiro reportedly damaged a petrol station door during a night out, media reports say.
One Brazilian security source said they were involved in a dispute with security guards and asked to pay for the damage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37115778

Sorry, this doesn't sound like "intimidation", it sounds like a group of guys lied for some reason and its now gone well past a little white lie.

Yeah, I wanted to give these swimmers the benefit of the doubt given that there's quite a bit of crime in Rio, but this story is starting to play out much in the same way that Robert Allenby's did. For those who don't know, he's an Australian golfer who, while playing the Hawaiian Open in 2015, claimed he was beaten up, mugged, and kidnapped. However, in all likelyhood, he was with strippers/hookers and may have stiffed a few people out of what they were owed. Here's a couple of articles on that story:

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/robert- ... g-incident
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/ ... ory-untrue
http://mashable.com/2015/01/19/robert-a ... o3kpRDzmqG

PacificBeach88 wrote:

Drunken young adults doing what drunken young adults do. Who cares?

So if a group of drunks in America reported a fictitious crime to the police in an effort to cover up a misdemeanor, what would the reaction of the police be? Somehow I doubt they'd shrug their shoulders and say "Well, boys will be boys."

PacificBeach88 wrote:

They didn't do "a runner". They were all taking their normally scheduled flights home, drama queen.

I was talking about Lochte, Princess.

PacificBeach88 wrote:

Drunken young adults doing what drunken young adults do. Who cares?

The heck kind of excuse-making privileged BS is that?

Rich assholes destroy property in a poor country, and it's just "what drunken young adults" do?? You gotta be joking.

And this jerkoff is halfway through a typical lifespan.
He's no "young adult," and should know better.

Kiwirob wrote:

Lo the isn't exactly young, you can get away with stupid shit like this in your teens but not in your early thirties.

This was Lochte's last Olympics. He's back in the USA. He won't be extradited over a they said / we said b.s. argument. This is a 24 to 48 news story at most in the USA. After all, Donald Trump self-implodes every 24 to 36 hours like clockwork. No Americans will care.

The BBC now have the CCTV from the garage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37115778

No sign of a robbery. CCTV backs up the police tho.

LAX772LR wrote:

Rich assholes destroy property in a poor country, and it's just "what drunken young adults" do?? You gotta be joking.

And this jerkoff is halfway through a typical lifespan.
He's no "young adult," and should know better.

You expect to have a gun drawn on you for pissing on a wall after a night of drinking? Really? And when is a group of 20 somethings and a 32 year old "half way thru life"? Athletes dropping dead at 45 these days are they? Hyperbole much?

The issue here is not that a few drunk morons caused a completely unnecessary altercation. That happened, but was effectively resolved on site.

The issue is that they didn't own up to their own stupidity in fear of public (and sponsor) backlash and instead chose to invent a smear-job of a story riding on ready-made prejudices of many people against their host country, hoping that everybody would just accept that load of manure because "everybody knows that Brazil is a worthless, violent country".

And as we've seen above, this tactic has worked perfectly as intended, with some people.

A perfect example for why it's a really, really bad idea to let anyone yank your chain who's grabbing you by your prejudices. (hint, hint).

And that is also a good reason for sponsors to kick those despicable liars out of their support contracts.

Without this it wouldn't have been half as bad as it is now.

Correction: Brazil intimidates extorted Olympians, publicly calls them liars to save face.

A "robbery" didn't take place. An extortion seems to have. Whether they broke something in the bathroom or it was already broken and they were blamed for it, they were held at gunpoint until police arrived to take all their money to "satisfy" the store owner. Then the police filed no report. No trial, no judge. Street "justice". Nothing would have come of it had lochtes mom not tweeted about it. Then the actual police went into action to cya.

Local shopkeeper = right. Tourists = wrong, especially when drunk. Never been to a country (including USA) where this isn't the reality. But in the USA security guards aren't allowed to detain you at gunpoint. And the only official who jumps to conclusions so quickly without facts is our president.

Klaus wrote:

The issue here is not that a few drunk morons caused a completely unnecessary altercation. That happened, but was effectively resolved on site.

The issue is that they didn't own up to their own stupidity in fear of public (and sponsor) backlash and instead chose to invent a smear-job of a story riding on ready-made prejudices of many people against their host country, hoping that everybody would just accept that load of manure because "everybody knows that Brazil is a worthless, violent country".

And as we've seen above, this tactic has worked perfectly as intended, with some people.

A perfect example for why it's a really, really bad idea to let anyone yank your chain who's grabbing you by your prejudices. (hint, hint).

And that is also a good reason for sponsors to kick those despicable liars out of their support contracts.

Without this it wouldn't have been half as bad as it is now.

They were held at gunpoint by a rent a cop until real cops came and took all their money and let them go with a warning.

They offered to pay the store in order to go home. Video confirms this. They are held at gunpoint and then eventually hand over their wallets. On video.

No police report was filed by the police who showed up. I wonder why? I'll just leave you to answer that question yourself as you expound on the virtues of the non Americans in this situation.

ikramerica wrote:

Correction: Brazil intimidates extorted Olympians, publicly calls them liars to save face.

A "robbery" didn't take place. An extortion seems to have. Whether they broke something in the bathroom or it was already broken and they were blamed for it, they were held at gunpoint until police arrived to take all their money to "satisfy" the store owner. Then the police filed no report. No trial, no judge. Street "justice". Nothing would have come of it had lochtes mom not tweeted about it. Then the actual police went into action to cya.

Local shopkeeper = right. Tourists = wrong, especially when drunk. Never been to a country (including USA) where this isn't the reality. But in the USA security guards aren't allowed to detain you at gunpoint. And the only official who jumps to conclusions so quickly without facts is our president.

Holy shit you managed to blame Obama. That takes some serious effort.

PacificBeach88 wrote:

You expect to have a gun drawn on you for pissing on a wall after a night of drinking?

Sure do.

And you should too, if indeed you're ever **STUPID** enough to deface/destroy property of those of far lesser means.
Should be common sense, but at least now, you can't say no one ever said it to you.

PacificBeach88 wrote:

And when is a group of 20 somethings and a 32 year old "half way thru life"? Athletes dropping dead at 45 these days are they? Hyperbole much?

BETTER QUESTION: since when did I say anything about the 20somethings?

You added them. I specifically mentioned Lochte. And yes, someone nearly in their mid thirties is halfway through their lifespan, and more importantly (since you appear to have missed this part) should know better!!!

Further: why wasn't the news immediately that lochte and friends vandalized a store? You'd think that many of the witnesses, the security guard, the store owner, someone wouldn't take 4 days to come forward if they weren't actually involved in an extortion. This would have been international news on Sunday.

"US athletes vandalize store!" That's huge. Why didn't anyone say anything?

As the old song says: "things that make you go hmmmm"

ikramerica wrote:

They were held at gunpoint by a rent a cop until real cops came and took all their money and let them go with a warning.

They offered to pay the store in order to go home. Video confirms this. They are held at gunpoint and then eventually hand over their wallets. On video.

No police report was filed by the police who showed up. I wonder why? I'll just leave you to answer that question yourself as you expound on the virtues of the non Americans in this situation.

So you have a link to the full video? Because the polices version of events is that they were prevented from leaving, held at gun point by a security guard, the police were called and while they were on their way a local helped translate, whereby the swimmers agreed to pay for the damage, and they were allowed to leave before the police turned up.

And then they went and shot their mouths off saying they had been robbed.

The video released to the BBC doesnt match up with their version of events. It doesnt even have to be the full version and it still doesnt match up with their version of events.

The "real cops" didnt take their money away. The "real cops" didn't file a report because the incident was closed to the satisfaction of the caller before they arrived.

ikramerica wrote:

Further: why wasn't the news immediately that lochte and friends vandalized a store? You'd think that many of the witnesses, the security guard, the store owner, someone wouldn't take 4 days to come forward if they weren't actually involved in an extortion. This would have been international news on Sunday.

"US athletes vandalize store!" That's huge. Why didn't anyone say anything?

As the old song says: "things that make you go hmmmm"

This has been my point the whole time. I've been "robbed" by Costa Rican police looking for a $20 bribe. I've been shook down for $40 by Malaysian "cops" for b.s. reasons. I've been "robbed" by a taxi driver in Prague trying to get an extra $10 out of me. I've had a bar owner claimed I owed $20 for a well vodka tonic. Another, claimed I owed $200 for a female prostitute I "talked to" for 5 minutes, even though I'm gay. I've peed against a Japanese alley wall, because the bar had no bathroom. Me? They wanted $50. My white, 6 ft. 4" USA boyfriend....nothing.

When you're traveling shit happens. In a lawless country that Brazil has become, and yes I've spent weeks and months in Brazil. You roll up on some sh**hole gas station and they shake you down for $200 or $400??? Really, for a broken door? Funny, how the Brazilians couldn't find the taxi driver (whom I sure got a cut of the action), nor a police report. Especially, given Rio hasn't been able to pay either their fire or police departments because of the new Putin regime in power.

ikramerica wrote:

Further: why wasn't the news immediately that lochte and friends vandalized a store? You'd think that many of the witnesses, the security guard, the store owner, someone wouldn't take 4 days to come forward if they weren't actually involved in an extortion. This would have been international news on Sunday.

"US athletes vandalize store!" That's huge. Why didn't anyone say anything?

As the old song says: "things that make you go hmmmm"

Huge assumption there that everyone involved knew these were Olympic athletes, and not just American tourists...

There are after all several times more foreign spectators than competitors currently in Rio - they werent exactly wearing their trunks or medals on their night out, and they werent wearing team clothes either...

Stop trying to make excuses.

So the "bargain" struck at gunpoint happens to be "all the cash in your wallet?" LOLOLOLOL

International incident! Arrogant gringos!

ssteve wrote:

So the "bargain" struck at gunpoint happens to be "all the cash in your wallet?" LOLOLOLOL

International incident! Arrogant gringos!

Exactly. How many of us wouldn't have struck the same deal? "Fine, here's all my cash".

This will probably boils down to parents paying the owner of the gas station off. Podsibably an amount close to their winnings at the Olympics and Locate paying out a lot more because of his wealth, If they are fast and do it under the counter they may be able to get out of the news. Otherwise their product endorsements will be worth squat.

Ken777 wrote:

This will probably boils down to parents paying the owner of the gas station off. Podsibably an amount close to their winnings at the Olympics and Locate paying out a lot more because of his wealth, If they are fast and do it under the counter they may be able to get out of the news. Otherwise their product endorsements will be worth squat.

Come on Ken777! You know this isn't more than a 48 hour story in the USA. Tell 'ya what. Let's revisit this story on Monday or Tuesday next week? Let's see what the headlines are. Fair?