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Brazilian Police Recommend Charges for U.S. Swimmers Ryan Lochte, James Feigen

 

Police have recommended charges for U.S. Swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen for falsely reporting a crime, according to ABC News. ABC initially reported that the swimmers had been indicted but they have since backed off that claim, saying that police have recommended charges. We have updated this article accordingly.

Reports that Ryan LochteJames FeigenGunnar Bentz, and Jack Conger were robbed over the weekend on their way back to the Olympic village from a party first surfaced on Sunday. Authorities didn’t believe Lochte’s story and they are reportedly reccomending charges against him and Feigen who also allegedly gave false statements to police. Investigators say that the swimmers actually vandalized a gas station in Rio after they were out partying.

As we first reported earlier todayUnder Special Part Title 11, Chapter 3, Article 340 of Brazil’s Penal Code, informing law enforcement of the occurrence of a crime or misdemeanor that never took place is subject to detention of one to six months or a fine.  There is another clause in Brazil’s Penal Code under Special Part Title 11, Chapter 3, Article 342, which states that if you make a false statement or deny the truth as a witness in legal proceedings or in a police investigation, the penalty is imprisonment of one to three years and a fine. It is unclear at this point what they will be charged with. 

 and Ronn Blizter contributed to this report.

LawNewz.com will update when we get more information. 

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Rachel Stockman is President of Law&Crime which includes Law&Crime Productions, Law&Crime Network and LawAndCrime.com. Under her watch, the company has grown from just a handful of people to a robust production company and network producing dozens of true crime shows a year in partnership with major networks. She also currently serves as Executive Producer of Court Cam, a hit show on A&E, and I Survived a Crime, a new crime show premiering on A&E this fall. She also oversees production of a new daily syndicated show Law&Crime Daily, which is produced in conjunction with Litton Entertainment. In addition to these shows, her network and production company produce programs for Facebook Watch, Cineflix and others. She has spent years covering courts and legal issues, and was named Atlanta Press Club's 'Rising Star' in 2014. Rachel graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and Yale Law School.