Timeline of the Ryan Lochte robbery incident shakedown

Here is how the events of the Ryan Lochte robbery story unfolded.

Sunday, August 14

After Olympic swimming ended on Saturday night, Lochte went out with his teammates to celebrate their wins at the French team’s hospitality house, France House. On their way back, they took a cab back to the athletes village. In their initial account, at approximately 3:00 a.m., 32-year-old Lochte and teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, and 26-year-old Jimmy Feigen were stopped by armed assailants who appeared as Brazilian law enforcement. They demanded their cash and personal belongings, but did not take their cell phones, credentials, or watches.

The Olympians did not report the incident.

The timing is not fully accounted for, but they arrived back at the athletes village at around 7:00 a.m.

Later in the day, Sunday

Lochte’s mother, Ileana Lochte, tweeted about the episode. Lochte also talked to the Today Show’s Billy Bush and described what happened:

“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing — just a police badge — and they pulled us over,” Lochte said. “”And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cellphone, he left my credentials.”

Swimmer Bentz tweeted:

At this point, the IOC and USOC are at odds about what really happened. IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the reports were “absolutely not true.” Adams later apologized, saying he had the wrong information given to him by the USOC. Meanwhile, USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement, “All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.”

Brazil’s sports minister, Leonardo Picciani, said that the swimmers were “outside their places of competition and outside the appropriate time.”

Police began looking into the incident as they saw the social and other media reports. At this point one of the swimmers has talked to police. A search commences for the cab driver and other witnesses from the gas station. Authorities also start looking for security and video footage from France House, nearby gas stations, and the athletes village. The footage from the athletes village entrance shows the swimmers arriving by 6:56 a.m. on Sunday.

Monday, August 15

“We obviously regret that the violence has [gotten] so close to athletes,” Rio Games spokesman Mario Andrada said Monday.

Lochte talked to police about the details of the robbery. He tells the authorities that he and his teammates were out celebrating and were inebriated, but cannot remember details about the kind of or color of the cab. They are also unsure of the timing of the events.

Lochte’s attorney  said that his client signed a statement Monday confirming the facts as he knows them.

“Ryan was a hundred percent cooperative and fully available when they reached out to us for an interview,” Jeff Ostrow said, adding, “It doesn’t behoove Ryan and anyone else to make up a story.”

Tuesday, August 16

The 12-time medalist tells USA Today Sports that they didn’t initially report the robbery “because we were afraid we’d get in trouble.”

Police report they cannot find the taxi driver or witnesses, and that the swimmers were unable to provide key details during their interviews to help with the investigation.

Lochte’s attorney, Ostrow, issues statements to affirm that the robbery did indeed take place. He also says that Lochte has hired 24-hour security. Lochte returns to the U.S.

Once back in the country, Ryan Lochte calls his dad, Steve Lochte, and in their conversation, tells him details about the robbery and mentions he needs to replace his wallet since his was stolen in the altercation. He told The Associated Press, “The main thing is he’s very lucky that he’s safe and that all they got was his cash and wallet.”

Wednesday, August 17

After reviewing the video footage obtain from the athletes village, Brazilian judge Keyla Blank De Cnop orders that the athletes’ passports be detained so they can stay in the country while the investigation is ongoing.

Keyla Bank De Cnop claims evidence that a false report was filed, singling out the swimmer’s “unshaken” demeanor as seen on the video footage, lack of details, Lochte possibly still holding his “stolen” wallet in his hand, an inability to find the cab driver and other witnesses, and her suspicion that the robbers only took cash rather than regular theft targeted items such as their watches, cell phone, or credentials. She further says that she requested all the swimmers to come to the police station to file reports and only one was willing to do so.

The police arrive at the ahthletes village to request the swimmer’s passports, but are told by the USOC that the swim team has moved out. Lochte is now in the U.S. USOC spokesman cannot confirm the athletes’ locations, citing security protocol. However, Feigen tells the San Antonio Express-News that he is still in Brazil.

Lochte’s lawyer, Ostrow, speaks to ESPN. He insists that the robbery took place and that “Ryan is the victim.”

“My opinion is they are trying to use Ryan’s situation to use as a scapegoat to show that things down there are not as bad as it looks,” Ostrow said.

Wednesday Evening

The USOC confirmed that the other two swimmers who were with Lochte and Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, both aged 20, were pulled off their plane at Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport. Feigen was supposed to be on the flight with them. He had even checked in online, but never showed and his whereabouts still remain a mystery.

Matt Lauer also reported to NBC that he spoke with Lochte on the phone earlier in the day and noted a few changes to his story, but said that the gold medal swimmer was also insisting that much of the story was true.

“We wouldn’t make this story up,” Lauer quoted Lochte as stating. Furthermore, he said to Lauer, “We’re victims in this and we’re happy that we’re safe.”

In his interview with Lauer, he seemed to change the details of how the gun was held to him, now saying that it was “pointed in his direction.” Mr. Lauer described the change in detail to NBC late Wedesday night:

“When he talked to me tonight, he said, ‘That’s when the guy pointed the gun in my direction and cocked it.’ And 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.’ And 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 to people to decide.”

Mr. Lauer also reported that the swimmer said the attack occurred after they stopped to use the rest room at a gas station, which is different from the claims that the cab was pulled over.

Lauer further noted that Lochte talked about having been the victim of a home-robbery a while ago and that the authorities in that incident reacted very differently than the ones in Brazil, further stating that the officials in Rio were far less detailed and their seeming lack-of-detail surprised him.

He insisted to Mr. Lauer that the robbery did occur. He also disputed how they were being perceived in the athletes village arrival video. He was adamant that “they were afraid and in shock” after the alleged robbery took place.

Brazilian authorities are now saying that the robbery never took place, and are now investigating the swimmers for filing a false report — a crime that can lead to a six month detention or fine.

Thursday morning

USOC spokesman Sandusky said that swimmers Conger and Bentz were released by authorities, “with the understaniding that they would continue their discussions about the incident on Thursday.”

The Associated Press reached out to Steve Bentz, Gunnar Bentz’s father, who said, “I really don’t want to say anything,” and quickly got off the phone.

Lochte’s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, reiterated to Business Insider that the “fact remains they were robbed at gunpoint.”

Ostrow further explained, “The gun was directed and cocked at this head … not a material change,” he stated. “The car was pulled over and assailants pulling car up to his car so they couldn’t leave is not a material change either.”

Although the details are in still in question, there are some, even in Brazil who are supporting Lochte’s side of the story, including this post on his twitter Wednesday night in response to anchor Greta Van Susteren:

Still no word on swimmer James Feigen.

Latest development:

ABC News’ Matt Gutman reported that Brazilian authorities have video footage of one of the swimmers in an altercation with a security guard at the gas station:

There are still conflicting reports coming out of Rio about what really happened, some still saying Lochte and his teammates made it up, while other sources are hinting that the alleged robbery may have been an “inside job” with the missing cab driver in on it from the start. The Daily Mail‘s take:

More developments pending.