49ers owner Jed York pleads no contest after prostitution sting in Ohio
Jed York, principal owner of the San Francisco 49ers, was charged with misdemeanor offenses after an undercover operation on a prostitution website led to his arrest in an Ohio mobile-home park.
San Francisco 49ers principal owner Jed York was arrested Sunday in an East Palestine, Ohio, mobile-home park after responding to an online advertisement that police said was posted on a prostitution website. Using the alias “Joe,” York messaged the undercover officer on Saturday and again on Sunday, arranging a $160 payment for an hour of sexual services, according to a Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force report.
York arrived in a rental car but could not locate the specified lot, and police stopped him on the main road. Officers seized his phone and the cash, and he was booked on charges of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. He appeared in court the next day, entered a no-contest plea to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, and was sentenced to two days in jail with a $1,150 fine. The cash was forfeited to a human-trafficking task force, and his phone was returned.
The NFL said it is reviewing the matter under its personal-conduct policy, which applies to owners as well as players and staff. York’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment. The incident follows a pending divorce filing by York and references his family’s long-standing ownership of the 49ers and co-ownership of Leeds United and Rangers F.C.