Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

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October 4, 2022
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Judge orders Texas-Ex Jimmy Feigen, Ryan Lochte to stay in Brazil after robbery claim

A Brazilian judge issued an order Wednesday to seize the passports of American swimmers Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen, according to the New York Times. The warrant comes in response to the swimmers’ testimony regarding an armed robbery outside the Olympic village.

Feigen, a Texas-Ex, and Lochte, along with Texas senior Jack Congar and Gunnar Bentz, claimed individuals dressed as police stopped their cab and held them at gunpoint before taking their wallets on Saturday night. The judge, Keyla Blanc De Cnop, viewed footage of the swimmers returning to Olympic village and said in a statement there were discrepancies among their testimonies.

“You can see the supposed victims arriving without signs of being physically or psychologically shaken, even joking amongst themselves,” Blanc de Cnop said.


Brazilian police have been unable to locate Lochte and Feigen, according to the report. Lochte reportedly left Brazil before the judge issued the order, while it’s unclear if Feigen is still in the country.

Patrick Sandusky, a spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee, said in a statement that all American swimmers have left the Olympic village.

“The swim team moved out of the village after their competition ended, so we were not able to make the athletes available,” Sandusky said. “Additionally, as part of our standard security protocol, we do not make athlete travel plans public and therefore cannot confirm the athletes’ current location.”

Rio de Janeiro police said Tuesday there is little evidence to support the robbery claims, according to the Associated Press. The police have been unable to find the swimmers’ taxi driver or any witnesses, according to the report.

Lochte’s lawyer Jeff Ostrow denied that the four swimmers produced a false testimony.

“This happened the way he described it,” Ostrow said. “Ryan was a hundred percent cooperative and fully available when they reached out to us for an interview.  It doesn’t behoove Ryan and anyone else to make up a story.”

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