Swimmer Ryan Lochte Flees Rio 2016 Olympics After Police Discover His Wallet Was Not Stolen Nor Did He Catch A Cab At A Gas Station Where He Alleges He Was Robbed At Gunpoint

August 18. 2016

Ryan Lochte

Social networking is questioning the integrity of swimmer, Ryan Lochte, regarding inconsistencies in his story regarding being allegedly robbed at gunpoint, by men dressed as police, during the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. The story hit the news after Lochte’s mother revealed to Fox News that he was allegedly robbed during the Olympics in Rio. Lochte made headlines due to a television interview with U.S. network NBC, on location in Rio to cover the Olympics.

During the interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer, Lochte stated a group of men wearing police clothing stopped the cab he and U.S. Olympic swim team members, Jimmy Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, caught after a party outside the Olympic village. For years Lochte has been known for his wild partying and landed on pop culture blogs as a result of it.

Ipiranga gas station in Rio (Photo Credit: the Daily Mail)

Lochte stated on television that one of the men dressed as a police officer pointed a gun at his forehead demanding his wallet and other valuables. Lochte stated his wallet was stolen during the alleged robbery. However, inconsistencies have since cropped up after Brazilian authorities began subpoenaing CCTV camera footage at multiple locations in Rio to backtrack Lochte’s movements and that of his team mates who were present in the cab, to ascertain exactly what transpired.

Brazilian judge, Kayla Blank, ordered Lochte, Bentz, Conger and Feigen to stay put while authorities complete their investigation, as the inconsistencies that have surfaced in their story needs clarification. For example, Lochte told police he caught the cab at a specific gas station. Authorities subpoenaed the CCTV footage from the station and discovered Lochte and his teammates were never there.

From NBC: (Clockwise from top left) Jimmy Feigen, Ryan Lochte, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz

Lochte told police his wallet was stolen during the alleged robbery in the cab. However, authorities subpoenaed CCTV footage of the swimmers returning to the Olympic village hours later than they stated they arrived at the athletics facility and the video shows Lochte, Bentz, Conger and Feigen placing their wallets in the containers, to be scanned in the x-rays machine that inspects the contents of one‘s belongings, in search of weapons or other incendiary devices. People have now come to the conclusion their wallets were not stolen, though Lochte previously made claims to the contrary.

Lochte told authorities he left a party held by Club France at 4AM and caught a cab at the Ipiranga gas station in the immediate vicinity of the venue. However, Brazilian authorities subpoenaed CCTV footage from the Club France party and discovered Lochte, Feigen, Conger and Bentz left hours later than they claimed.

Lochte, Feigen and Bentz checking in at the Olympic village at 6:56AM. Authorities state they checked in with their belongings they stated were stolen and did not look distressed on the tape or to witnesses, after the alleged robbery at gunpoint.

After news began to filter out about the inconsistencies in their stories, Lochte fled Brazil and was able to make it back to America. The U.S. Olympic committee has refused to divulge Lochte’s location, though he is wanted for questioning in Rio under the suspicion he filed a false police report in Brazil. The New York Times stated Lochte, Feigen, Conger and Bentz's claims of robbery at gunpoint brought “embarrassment“ on the Rio Olympics committee that has "turned to anger."

Lochte did not return to his home in Florida. However, DrudgeReport.com is stating he is in North Carolina. Lochte’s teammates Bentz and Conger attempted to flee as well, in defiance of the Judge Blank’s orders and were removed from a plane in Rio that was headed for America. Their passports have now been confiscated until they testified, as they previously gave "conflicting reports" to police. People online are wondering if Lochte, Bentz and Feign were truly robbed or if they were drunk/high and hallucinated the whole thing.

STORY SOURCE

What robbery? Brazilian police say Ryan Lochte's wallet was detected in X-ray scan AFTER he claims it was seized at gunpoint as officers launch probe into star's dramatic hold-up story

Police arrived to the Olympic Village on Wednesday to seize the passports of Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen
The two men are under investigation for allegedly lying about the robbery they claimed happened Sunday in Rio
The swim team had already moved out of the Village but Feigen may still be in Brazil while Lochte flew home to the US on Tuesday
The judge's order came after seeing video obtained by DailyMail.com of the laughing men returning to the Village after the robbery
Investigators claim that the X-ray machine at the Village showed the men were in possession of all belongings they said were stolen on Sunday

The video footage also seems to show both Feigen and Gunnar Bentz carrying what look to be wallets when they return to the Village
The two men will now be investigated for the false communication of a crime, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail in Brazil

Published: 10:38 EST, 17 August 2016 | Updated: 18:24 EST, 17 August 2016 - Police in Brazil arrived at the Olympic Village on Wednesday to seize the passports of Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen in an attempt to keep them in the country for further questioning about the robbery they claim occurred early Sunday. A judge gave authorities the go ahead after doubts began to grow over the claims made by the swimmers in light of the surveillance video obtained by DailyMail.com earlier this week showing the group laughing and smiling as they returned to the Olympic Village.

Lochte's mother later broke the news of the alleged robbery later that day while speaking with Fox Sports. The athletes are now accused of lying about the incident after the publication of the video Tuesday led investigators to change their line of inquiry. A formal request for their passports to be seized reveals that the two men will now be investigated for the false communication of a crime, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail in Brazil.

Records retrieved by investigators from the X-ray machine through which the athletes passed in the Village also showed that the men were carrying all the belongings which they had claimed in sworn statements to police had been stolen. Lochte, 32, had already flown out of the country and is home in the US while Feigen's whereabouts are still not known. Feigen, 26, had been in Rio all day Tuesday but it is unclear if he took a flight home before the judge's order.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk