San Francisco 49ers principal owner and CEO Jed York was arrested Sunday on suspicion of engaging in prostitution and later pleaded no contest Monday to reduced misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, according to Columbiana County court records and multiple reports.
York, whose legal name is John Edward York, was taken into custody by East Palestine police working with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. He was booked into the Columbiana County Jail, posted $5,000 bond, and was released. Court records show he was originally charged under Ohio Revised Code 2907.231 with engaging in prostitution, a first-degree misdemeanor, along with possessing criminal tools, also a first-degree misdemeanor.
At his Monday arraignment in Columbiana County Municipal Court, prosecutors amended the prostitution count to disorderly conduct, a lesser fourth-degree misdemeanor. York pleaded no contest to both remaining counts. The court found him guilty. A judge sentenced him to one day in jail on each count, to be served concurrently, with credit for time already served. He was ordered to pay fines totaling about $1,150 to $1,500, plus court costs. A confiscated cell phone was returned to him. About $160 seized in the case was forfeited to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. Some reports said he was also ordered to complete an online course. An expungement request has been filed, according to the docket.
The 49ers, the NFL, East Palestine police, and the task force did not immediately comment. York’s attorney also did not respond to requests for comment in early reports.
York, 46, grew up in the Youngstown, Ohio, area and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School. East Palestine is about 30 minutes south of Youngstown. He has been CEO of the 49ers since 2008 and became the team’s principal owner in 2024 after acquiring additional equity from his mother, Denise DeBartolo York. His parents remain co-chairs. He and his wife, Danielle Belluomini, have two sons.
NFL owners are subject to the league’s personal conduct policy. The closest recent comparison is New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was charged in a 2019 Florida prostitution sting. Those charges were later thrown out and Kraft was not disciplined by the league. It is not yet clear whether the NFL will review York’s case.
The arrest comes during the 49ers’ preseason, ahead of the regular-season opener. York has overseen the franchise during multiple Super Bowl appearances. The team has not issued a statement as of Monday morning.
This is a developing story based on court records and contemporaneous reporting from Ohio and Bay Area outlets. Additional details about the circumstances of the arrest have not been released.
