Brazil court allows prosecution of swimmer Ryan Lochte

SÃO PAULO (AP) - Brazil's Superior Court of Justice has ruled that U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte can be prosecuted on a charge of filing a false police report during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Lochte had claimed that he and fellow swimmers were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi in Rio. But prosecutors said he invented the story to cover up the swimmers' vandalism of a gas station and an ensuing confrontation with security guards. The 12-time Olympic medalist later acknowledged he was intoxicated and said his behavior led to the confrontation.

A court dismissed the case last year, but the Superior Court of Justice reversed that decision this week. Prosecutor Rodrigo de Almeida Maia said Thursday that the next step is for Lochte's team to present its defense.