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Brazil Police: Two U.S. Swimmers Admit To Fabricating Story About Armed Robbery

A Brazilian police official claims U.S. swimmers Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz have admitted that the "story about being robbed at gunpoint" early Sunday morning "had been fabricated," according to Savarese & Harris of the AP. Police have determined that Conger, Bentz, Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen "stopped at a gas station" outside Rio, when one of the swimmers "tried to open the door of an outside bathroom," which was locked. Some of the swimmers "pushed on the door and broke it." The police official said that a security guard "appeared and confronted them." The guard was "armed with a pistol, but he never took it out or pointed it at the swimmers." The official added that the manager of the gas station then arrived and, through a customer, "asked the swimmers to pay for the broken door." The swimmers agreed to "pay him an unknown amount of money and then left" (AP, 8/18). ABC NEWS cited a source as saying that one of the swimmers "was seen on CCTV footage breaking down the door to the bathroom at the gas station and fighting with a security guard" (ABCNEWS.com, 8/18). The HUFFINGTON POST's Sam Levine cites Brazilian news outlet TV Globo as reporting the swimmers "got aggressive" when a security guard "pointed a gun to prevent them" from leaving the gas station (HUFFINGTONPOST.com, 8/18). 

INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE
: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour reports Conger, Bentz and Feigen are "still in Brazil" and have been "cooperating with authorities." Lochte flew back to the U.S. on Tuesday. Brazilian judge Keyla Blank yesterday ordered Feigen and Lochte "not to leave the country" while police looked into the "inconsistencies in the testimony of the two swimmers." Conger and Bentz "were not named in the ruling, but authorities pulled them off a flight at the Rio airport as they tried to leave the country" last night (USATODAY.com, 8/18). In DC, Phillips & Sheinin note Conger and Bentz were pictured by local TV "entering a police office at Rio de Janeiro’s international airport with their carry-on luggage, but they did not comment to a reporter. " The local newspaper reported that two rep from the U.S. Consulate and one from the USOC "had arrived at the airport to accompany them" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/18). NBC NEWS' Phil Helsel cites sources saying that Feigen "checked in for a flight online but never showed up" (NBCNEWS.com, 8/18). ABC's Gutman this morning reported Brazilian police is "saying that they’re keeping the door open to prosecuting all four men for providing false testimony." U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner in a statement said that the department "would not require Lochte to return to Brazil" (“GMA,” ABC, 8/18).

LOCHTE CHANGES SOME OF HIS STORY: NBC's Matt Lauer during the net's primetime broadcast last night and detailed a phone conversation he had with Lochte earlier in the day. NBC's Bob Costas asked Lauer if Lochte said Brazilian authorities "expressed any skepticism at all about his account.” Lauer: “He said never. Never during the questioning did they question his truthfulness." Lauer said Lochte during the interview "stuck to most of the story” he gave to police, though he "did change one thing.” Lauer: “He didn't say he was pulled over by these people pretending to be police. They had gone to the bathroom in a gas station. They got back to the taxi, and when they told the taxi driver to go, he didn't move. They said, ‘Let's go ... we've got to get out of here.’ Again, the taxi driver didn't move, and that’s when he says two men approached the car with guns and badges, told them to get out, told them to get on the ground." More Lauer: "When he talked to me tonight, he said, 'That's when the guy pointed the gun in my direction and cocked it.’ I pointedly said to him, ‘You had said before it was placed on your forehead and cocked.’ He said, ‘No, that's not exactly what happened.’ I think he feels it was more of a traumatic mischaracterization. I think people listening at home might feel that was embellishment at the time, but that's up for people to decide.” Costas: "There may be something of a personal nature that would have been embarrassing, so he concocts a story, as people sometimes do, to cover it up.” Lauer: "I asked him about that pointedly. I said, ‘Ryan, there are people out here (and) there's skepticism that you made this story up, along with these other swimmers, to cover up some other form of embarrassing behavior. That this was more about some swimmers blowing off a little steam, going out and celebrating, that perhaps you were even with someone you shouldn't have been with.’ He stopped me quickly. He strongly denied that, said it's absolutely not the case. I wouldn't make up a story like this, nor would the others" ("Rio Olympics," NBC, 8/17).

DIDN'T ACT LIKE CRIME VICTIMS: In California, Scott Reid notes Blank's ruling "cited a surveillance video from when the four Americans returned to the Olympic Village shortly before 7 a.m. Rio time." At one point Lochte "appears to laugh and hit a teammate in the head with his Olympic credential." Blank wrote in the ruling, "They arrived with their psychological and physical integrity unshaken” (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 8/18). In N.Y., Vincent & Rosenbaum note the video "clearly shows" the swimmer "still holding personal possessions including watches and cellphones as they go through an X-ray machine." Feigen "even appears to be holding a wallet" (N.Y. POST, 8/18).

TRYING TO SAVE FACE?
 SPORTING NEWS' Mike DeCourcy writes it is unknown why Brazil is "making a federal case of this," but they "clearly are angry that Lochte’s public discourse has embarrassed their nation" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 8/18). NBC’s Al Roker said, “The fact is this story embarrassed the host country of the Olympics, so they are going to make sure that people know that maybe this is not exactly (what the swimmers claim happened)” ("Today," NBC, 8/18). CNBC’s Joe Kernen said, “It’s in the interests of the Rio authorities to make it seem like it didn’t happen” (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 8/18). USA TODAY's Armour writes it is "clear something happened early Sunday morning, and no one would be surprised if it turns out to be something embarrassing or likely to get the swimmers in trouble with the USOC, USA Swimming or their sponsors." Armour: "In a city where street crime is rampant and entire neighborhoods are under siege by drug lords or gangs, the police ought to have bigger concerns" (USA TODAY, 8/18).

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