Matt Hazlett/Getty Images(RIO DE JANEIRO) — Ryan Lochte was charged Thursday with filing a false statement in connection with an international incident in Rio de Janeiro and according to his lawyer, Lochte will not be responding.
When BBC asked Lochte’s lawyer if the U.S. swimmer and gold medalist would make a public statement on the charge, he said Lochte would “not be.”
Lochte, 32, flew home to North Carolina from Brazil before police could question him about his claims that he and three teammates were robbed at gunpoint at a gas station during Rio 2016.
A Brazilian Federal Police source told ABC News Thursday that police want Lochte to travel to Brazil to deliver his testimony in person.
The swimmer changed his story after police said the group of swimmers were confronted by armed security guards who requested money for the damage caused by them vandalizing a gas station bathroom. Lochte has since admitted he was drunk at the time, but said in an NBC interview with Matt Lauer that he and the other athletes were frightened because a gun was involved.
Since the story broke, several sponsors have dropped Lochte including Speedo and Ralph Lauren, but Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops signed him up for a campaign.
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