Friday, August 19, 2016

Olympic swimmer James Feigen will pay 35,000 Brazilian reals (€9,536) and then leave Brazil following the robbery scandal involving the US swim team, his lawyer said.

Breno Melaragno said that, under an agreement reached with a Brazilian judge, Feigen will donate the money to an “institution” and depart.

Mr Melaragno did not specify where the money will go, but the term “institution” can be taken to mean charity.

The lawyer said under Brazilian law, a donation can be made to avoid criminal prosecution for minor offences, but did not say what charge was being contemplated against Feigen.

Feigen’s team-mates Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger left Brazil on Thursday night after giving information to police.


Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger

Police say US swimmer Ryan Lochte and the three others had not been held at gunpoint, as Lochte initially claimed.

Instead, Brazilian police say the US athletes were intoxicated, vandalised a bathroom, and were then questioned by armed guards before they paid for the damage and left.

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