San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York was arrested on charges of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools in East Palestine, Ohio. The arrest occurred after York allegedly agreed to pay $160 for sexual services after responding to an advertisement on a website known for prostitution.
According to a Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force incident report, York was found at a mobile home park. During the arrest, officers discovered two of York's phones in his rental Volkswagen SUV. A test text sent from the number listed on the undercover advertisement reportedly triggered a notification on one of York's phones containing the phrase "the nude girl."
York reportedly used the alias "Joe" in communications with undercover officers and had arranged to meet a nonexistent sex worker for one hour. He was pulled over in his rental vehicle and initially claimed he was "just driving" and not meeting anyone. He also told police he worked in "real estate."
Body camera footage from the arrest revealed officers expressing astonishment at York's involvement in the incident. "He's got more cash in his wallet. He's got s--tloads of cash," one officer commented. Another officer added, "It's crazy the people that do this. They could do whatever they want, they could do other things, they could go other ways. It's wild."
York, 45, was reportedly wearing his wedding ring at the time of his arrest, despite having filed for divorce from his wife, Danielle Belluomini, in May. The couple married in 2011 and share two sons. York cited irreconcilable differences in his divorce petition.
The NFL is currently reviewing the incident under its personal conduct policy. York has not publicly addressed the arrest.