San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York was arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution in Ohio and later pleaded no contest to lesser charges. Jessica Christian/SF Chronicle San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York was arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution near his family’s home in Ohio before pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges on Monday, less than three weeks before the team’s season opener. York, 46, was initially arrested Sunday morning in East Palestine, Ohio, accused by police who organized a sting operation of engaging in prostitution and disorderly conduct, court records show. He was released that day on $5,000 bail. The prostitution charge was amended to a charge of possession of criminal tools as part of York’s plea deal. York’s phone was considered the tool because it was used in the commission of the alleged crime, records show. Article continues below this advertisementYork was arrested at 9:35 a.m. at a mobile home park near the Pennsylvania border, Ohio news station WKBN reported. He was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay $1,150 in fines. “As this is a legal matter that has been resolved, we will have no further comment at this time,” a 49ers spokesperson said. The East Palestine Police Department and local prosecutors did not immediately respond to a request for additional information. York responded to an ad on a prostitution website and arranged a sexual encounter for $140, according to an affidavit signed by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. He was arrested after arriving at the mobile home park in East Palestine and taken into custody as part of a sting operation. Authorities seized $160 from York that will be forfeited to the task force, which assisted the East Palestine Police Department with York’s arrest, according to court records. The phone, which the affidavit said was “used to organize the criminal act,” was ordered returned to York. York was born and raised 20 miles from East Palestine in Youngstown, Ohio. Article continues below this advertisement. York filed for divorce from his wife of more than 15 years, Danielle Belluomini York, in May due to irreconcilable differences, according to Santa Clara County Superior Court documents. As of Aug. 12, the latest date for which court records were available Monday, the marriage dissolution case was pending as the couple awaits a court date. They agreed to joint legal and physical custody of their two children, ages 13 and 10, according to court records. The separation of property and assets had not yet been determined. East Palestine has “caused hell” because law enforcement officials attract people looking to buy sex, said Jami Wallace, an environmental advocate who lived in the Wheat Hill mobile home community where York was arrested. Wallace said suspects are sometimes seen running from police and residents are worried about their children being exposed to predators. It’s one of the many problems facing the “small rural community,” Wallace said. A train derailed in East Palestine in 2023, releasing dangerous chemicals in a city of less than 5,000 people. On Monday, the NFL responded to York’s arrest with a statement, saying league officials were “aware of the matter that will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy.” The league said it reviewed the matter under its personal conduct policy. The charges were dismissed after courts ruled that surveillance video from a Florida massage parlor had been obtained in violation of Kraft’s constitutional rights. In March 2019, a month after being charged, Kraft said in a statement that he was “truly sorry” to his family, friends, coworkers and fans who “rightly hold me to a higher standard.” Kraft said his “morals” and “soul” were shaped by his wife, Myra, who died of cancer in 2011, and that he had “an extraordinary respect for women.” Before his arrest on Sunday, York had largely remained in the shadows since hiring head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017. It was a significant change from York’s initial stewardship of the 49ers, which was marked by petulance and a hands-on approach. The move reflected his confidence in Shanahan and Lynch, who have helped guide the 49ers to two Super Bowls, four NFC Championship Game appearances and five 10-win seasons since 2019. It also reflected other duties York has taken on in recent years. York and former 49ers executive Paraag Marathe lead 49ers Enterprises, which owns two European professional soccer clubs, Leeds United (England) and Rangers FC (Scotland). York is also CEO of his family’s company, DeBartolo Corp., which is located in Youngstown. Article continues below this advertisement. In March, York admitted that he didn’t realize the 49ers had acquired Christian Kirk, an accomplished wide receiver with four 50-catch seasons since 2019, until nearly two weeks after Kirk’s signing was reported: “I had no idea we had signed Christian Kirk,” York told reporters at the NFL owners’ meetings. The 49ers’ day-to-day football operations came after he spent years making unwanted headlines. He often spoke to national media and occasionally went wild on social media. York often referenced his uncle, Eddie DeBartolo, the former Hall of Fame owner of the 49ers, and apparently tried to adopt his combustible style and exacting standards. He fired head coach Jim Harbaugh after Harbaugh compiled a 44-19-1 record in four seasons and replaced him with Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly. Both coaches were fired after one season. The 49ers went 7-25 during his tenure and became the first franchise in nearly 40 years to fire head coaches in consecutive seasons after one-year stints. York also turned his attention to the city of Santa Clara, the site of Levi’s Stadium. It has been involved in a long-running financial dispute over the publicly owned stadium, which the team manages under contract with the city. In 2020, York contributed $2.8 million to three city council candidates whose subsequent Election Day victories gave York a five-member majority on the council. That group met privately almost weekly with team officials, city records showed. Article continues below this advertisement. The result was a series of decisions that benefited the 49ers. The city abandoned its bid to replace the team as stadium manager and fired City Manager Deanna Santana and City Attorney Brian Doyle, who had advocated for control of the stadium’s finances. “Jed should stay out of everything in our city in terms of operations,” Mayor Lisa Gillmor told the Chronicle in 2024. “He’s meddled in our businesses, bought council seats and directed the city manager and city attorney to be fired. We’ve gone so far backwards as a government because of him.” In 2020, the team spent nearly $10 million to elect a 49ers-friendly board. York officially became the principal owner of the 49ers in March 2024, when he purchased enough equity from his mother, Denise DeBartolo York, 76, to fuel the change. York had previously been the de facto owner for 13 seasons, but had the official title of CEO. The move was designed to ensure the 49ers would remain in the York family for generations. The Yorks sold 9.2% of their stake in the franchise last year to Fortress Investment Group managing partner and chairman Pete Briger Jr. and three Bay Area-based families. One of the limited partners, Vinod Khosla and his wife, Neeru Khosla, agreed to buy the Seahawks for $9.6 billion last month and their minority ownership in the 49ers will be sold when the sale is finalized. The 49ers had a valuation of $8.5 billion last year, according to CNBC calculations. Megan Cassidy contributed to this report.
