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Former USA Gymnastics CEO Indicted on Evidence Tampering in Larry Nassar Case
October 18, 2018
Steve Penny, the former CEO and president of USA Gymnastics, was arrested Wednesday in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, for allegedly tampering with evidence relating to Larry Nassar's sexual abuse scandal.
According to the Houston Chronicle's David Barron, Penny was indicted by a grand jury Sept. 28 for the third-degree felony. The indictment alleges Penny removed documents about Nassar's conduct from Karolyi Ranch, which was USA Gymnastics' former training site, in Walker County, Texas.
"The indictment further alleges that the removal of the documents was done for the purpose of impairing the ongoing investigation by destroying or hiding the documents," the Walker County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Penny is currently awaiting extradition to Walker County. If convicted, he faces between two and 10 years in prison.
Nassar is currently serving a 60-year sentence on child pornography charges. He was separately sentenced to 40 to 175 years in Ingham County, Michigan, after he sexually abused women and girls under the guise of medical treatment during his time as a physician with Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics.
He was also sentenced to 40 to 125 years in prison on separate sexual assault charges in Eaton County, Michigan.
As for Karolyi Ranch, gold medalist Aly Raisman sued USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee in March. According to NBC News' Tracy Connor and Sarah Fitzpatrick, Raisman's lawsuit said "Nassar was allowed unfettered access to Raisman and other elite athletes as they trained at the Karolyi Ranch owned by famed coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi and at competitions around the world."