Former president of USA Gymnastics Steve Penny has been arrested by US Marshals in Tennessee, almost three weeks after being indicted by a grand jury for tampering with evidence related to the Larry Nassar sexual abuse trial.
Former USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny arrested for tampering with evidence in Larry Nassar case
Another arrest has been made in relation to the Nassar case.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The indictment claims that Penny had removed documents regarding Nassar from Karolyi Ranch in Texas, a USA Gymnastics training facility that was used in the lead up to the 2002 and 2012 Olympic games. Prosecutors says that Penny asked for the documents to be removed after he was informed that an investigation into Nassar had begun. The indictment claims in part that Penny tampered with evidence with “the purpose of impairing the ongoing investigation by destroying or hiding the documents.”
It’s believed these documents would have helped law enforcement investigate Nassar. The Texas district attorney’s office also said the documents would have “assisted with the investigation of other offenses that may have occurred at the Karolyi Ranch.” The ranch was identified by former gymnast Aly Raisman as an isolated space where Nassar capitalized on the absence of parents to abuse athletes under the guise of medical treatment. USA Gymnastics had plans to purchase the ranch to use it as a training facility, but cancelled the plan in January of 2018.
Penny’s lawyer claims his client had no knowledge of the indictment filed by a grand jury in Texas, which is why it took US Marshals tracking him down in Tennessee to issue the arrest. They are now seeking extradition to Texas to continue the proceedings.
Penny served as the President and CEO of USA Gymnastics from 2005-2017, when he resigned following the sentencing of Nassar for sexual abuse and possession of child pornography. Dominique Moceanu, a former gymnast and survivor of Nassar’s abuse said that Penny was complicit in helping shield Nassar and called for his resignation, which USA Gymnastic rebuffed before Penny eventually stepped down.
While under oath, Penny said that allegations of sexual abuse made to USA Gymnastics were not forwarded to law enforcement because he didn’t see it as the responsibility of the organization to do so.
“To the best of my knowledge, there’s no duty to report if you are — if you are a third-party to some allegation. You know, that lies with the person who has firsthand knowledge.”
Penny could face up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine if found guilty of tampering with evidence, which is a third-degree felony.
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