Jed York Jailed After Prostitution Sting in Ohio

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

The 46-year-old entered a no contest plea to two charges – disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools – and was convicted on both counts at Columbiana County Municipal Court on Monday. In Ohio, a no contest plea accepts conviction without an admission of guilt.

York received a one-day jail sentence on each offence, to be served concurrently, and was credited for time already spent in custody.

The case was brought by the East Palestine Police Department and stemmed from an operation run by a Human Trafficking Task Force in Ohio. According to US media reports citing court documents, York responded to an online advertisement on a prostitution website that had been placed by undercover officers.

The documents state he arranged to engage in sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $140 (£103). As part of a plea deal, the original charge was reduced to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, understood to refer to the phone used to respond to the advert.

On the same day as the arraignment, court records show an expungement request was filed on York’s behalf and denied. Expungement would have allowed the records to be sealed or destroyed, removing them from public access.

York pleaded no contest at his arraignment hearing and was subsequently found guilty on both counts.

The 49ers organisation, which sits behind 49ers Enterprises – the investment arm through which York became a co-owner of Rangers – acknowledged the case but kept its response tight: “As this is a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time.”

Rangers and Leeds United have both declined to comment.

York’s influence in British football has grown in recent years through 49ers Enterprises. The group completed a takeover of Rangers in May 2025, joining a consortium led by US businessman Andrew Cavenagh to secure a controlling 51% stake in the Scottish Premiership club. The 49ers were also part of the US consortium that took control at Rangers last year, though York is not involved in the club’s day-to-day operations.

For now, the legal case in Ohio is closed. The questions that follow will centre on how this conviction sits alongside York’s expanding footprint in the global game.