Jed York Jailed After Prostitution Sting: Details and Charges

Jed York, the co-owner of Rangers and Leeds United and principal owner of the San Francisco 49ers, has been jailed in Ohio after being arrested in a prostitution sting.

The 46-year-old pleaded no contest to two misdemeanour charges – disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools – and was subsequently convicted. Under Ohio law, a no contest plea accepts conviction without an admission of guilt, but it carries the same legal effect as a guilty plea for sentencing.

York received a one-day jail term on each count, to be served concurrently, and was credited for time already spent in custody. The case was brought by the East Palestine Police Department and lodged at Columbiana County Municipal Court on Monday, where York entered his plea during an arraignment hearing and was found guilty.

Court records also show that an expungement request – an attempt to have the records sealed or destroyed so they are no longer publicly accessible – was filed and denied on the same day.

According to reports in US media, other court documents state that York responded to an online advertisement on a prostitution website, posted by undercover officers from an Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force. The documents say he arranged to engage in sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $140 (£103).

As part of a plea deal, the original solicitation charge was reduced to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, with the latter understood to refer to the phone used to respond to the advert.

The fallout stretches across the Atlantic. York became a co-owner of Rangers through 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm linked to the NFL franchise where he serves as chief executive and principal owner. The 49ers group formed part of the US consortium that completed a takeover of Rangers in May 2025, securing a controlling 51% stake in the Scottish Premiership club. The same ownership structure also underpins 49ers Enterprises’ controlling interest in Leeds United.

York is not involved in the day-to-day running of Rangers, and both Rangers and Leeds have declined to comment on the case. The 49ers organisation issued a brief statement: “As this is a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time.”

For now, the court file in a small Ohio county sits in stark contrast to the global profile of the clubs and franchise tied to York’s name – and it leaves their fanbases watching closely to see whether the boardroom landscape shifts again.