San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York was arrested in a prostitution bust in Ohio on Sunday before pleading no contest to disorderly conduct and possessing tools or devices to commit a crime.
Authorities initially arrested York on suspicion of engaging in prostitution in East Palestine, Ohio, but the charge was downgraded to disorderly conduct in a plea agreement with prosecutors, according to court records.
York, who has a home in nearby Youngstown, was released on $500,000 bail Sunday and sentenced to time served, documents filed Monday in Columbiana County Municipal Court show.
He was arrested at 9:35 a.m. on Sunday at a mobile home park, according to Ohio news station WKBN. Citing a court affidavit, WKBN reported York responded to an ad on a known prostitution website that was posted by a law enforcement agent, agreeing to have sex with a woman for $140.
Court records show York paid $1,150 in fines, $135 in court fees and $50 to request that the misdemeanor charges be expunged. A judge ordered $160 seized from York to be forfeited to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which worked with police in the prostitution bust. The judge also ordered York’s cell phone returned.
The 49ers declined comment, saying the situation was “a legal matter which has been resolved.” An NFL statement said the league was “aware of the matter which will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy.”
A message to York seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Steve Irwin, a spokesperson for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which brought the case along with local prosecutors, said authorities arrested York as part of “routine enforcement activities” by the human trafficking task force, but did not provide additional details.
Irwin said the charge of possessing criminal tools could be related to anything used to engage in prostitution, such as money, a cellphone or condoms.
Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino said prostitution cases handled by his office often end in plea agreements for lesser charges.
“Each case is looked at individually and for specific facts of the conduct, what evidence the police provide, and input from the arresting officer,” he said in an email. “You also have to factor in criminal history of the defendant, and whether or not they have committed these types of offenses in the past, and importantly, what the judges will allow.”
A Columbiana County Sheriff’s spokesperson declined to give further information on the case. The East Palestine Police Department did not immediately respond to questions about the arrest.
York, 46, filed for divorce from his wife Danielle on May 11 due to irreconcilable differences, according to Santa Clara County court records. The pair has agreed to share custody of their two children, ages 10 and 13, according to the records. The separation of their assets has not been determined, and the case is still pending.
York has been part of the 49ers’ hierarchy for over 20 years and assumed the title of “principal owner” two years ago to assure his family’s continued control.
His parents, Denise DeBartolo York and Dr. John York, became the 49ers’ primary owners in 2000 as her brother, Eddie DeBartolo, ceded his controlling shares in the wake of a Louisiana gambling scandal, pleading guilty to a felony. Their father, Edward J. DeBartolo, bought the 49ers in 1977 from the Morabito family, which founded the franchise in 1946.
Eddie DeBartolo’s ownership reign coincided with the 49ers’ rise to prominence and their five Super Bowl wins between the 1981 and 1994 seasons, earning him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame a decade ago. However, the gambling scandal led to his ouster from the 49ers and the NFL, and although he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of failing to report an extortion attempt, he was pardoned in 2020 by President Donald Trump.
The DeBartolo and York family ownership has maintained ties to southeast Ohio, where the DeBartolo Corporation headquarters remain in Boardman, about five miles south of Youngstown and 15 miles north of East Palestine.
Prostitution scandals are not new to the NFL ownership world: In 2019, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged in 2019 after visiting a Florida massage parlor for sex acts on the morning before his team played in the AFC Championship Game. Those charges were later dropped.
York’s arrest is the latest turn in a dramatic summer for the 49ers, who opened training camp last month with the news of a car crash 10 days prior that had left coach Kyle Shanahan with a concussion and dozens of stitches to his face. Shanahan later claimed fault in the crash, which did not result in legal charges for him or the other driver involved, and returned to health in time to coach their preseason opener.
Jed York is the oldest of four siblings. Twin sisters Jenna and Mara lead the 49ers Foundation charity wing. Younger brother Tony passed away in 2018 at age 35.
The Associated Press and staff reporter Caelyn Pender contributed to this report.