A Brazilian court dismissed its case against U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte on Thursday, less than a year after Lochte was charged with falsely reporting a crime to authorities—an offense that carries up to 18 months in prison. While competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Lochte alleged that he and three of his teammates had been robbed at gunpoint at a Shell gas station after attending a party celebrating the end of the swimming competition. Brazilian officials later claimed that Lochte and his teammates had vandalized the station’s restroom while intoxicated, and security guards were simply demanding payment for the damages.
Lochte’s claims were quickly called into question after surveillance footage showed a less severe altercation with security officials. Three days after the incident, a Brazilian judge ordered the swimmers to remain in Rio for questioning, citing inconsistencies in their testimonies. In her filing, the judge claimed that surveillance footage from the Olympic Village showed the swimmers joking with one another after returning from the gas station. One of the swimmers, Jimmy Feigen, ultimately paid a $10,800 fine in order to leave the country, but Lochte had already departed before police had an opportunity to question him.