Jed York suspended and fined $500,000 by NFL after prostitution sting arrest

The NFL has suspended San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York for six games and fined him $500,000 following his arrest in an undercover prostitution sting in Ohio.

The league announced on Friday that the punishment was handed down for violating its personal conduct policy. York has not attended any of the 49ers' games this season, and the NFL is counting those three absences as time served. He is eligible to return to the team on 20 October, the day after San Francisco plays the Washington Commanders.

York's arrest took place on 23 August at the Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community in East Palestine, Ohio. According to Columbiana County court records, York used a pseudonym to respond to an undercover online advertisement and arranged to meet a woman he believed was a prostitute.

The sting was conducted by the East Palestine Police Department and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. Officers arrested York after he agreed to pay for sex, with court records differing slightly on whether the agreed fee was $140 or $160.

The charges and plea

Authorities initially charged York with misdemeanour counts of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. Under a plea agreement on 24 August, prosecutors amended the prostitution charge to disorderly conduct.

York pleaded no contest to both disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, the latter for using his mobile phone to arrange the meeting. He was sentenced to a concurrent one-day jail term, which was credited as served from his time in custody following his arrest.

He was also ordered to pay $1,150 in court fines, and the cash he brought to the meeting was confiscated and handed over to the human trafficking task force. York has since completed an online diversion course.

York's response and team impact

Following the NFL's announcement, York released an apology through the team.

"To my family, to the players, coaches, and employees of the San Francisco 49ers, to our fans and partners, I am deeply sorry," York said. "This was an inexcusable mistake and I take full responsibility. What I did does not reflect my values or the man I strive to be for my family."

He added that while he had fallen short of the example he wanted to set for his sons, he hoped to show them "the importance of owning up to one's failures".

Because the suspension is being handled under the league's personal conduct policy rather than as a football operations issue, day-to-day decisions will continue to be run by the team's front office and coaching staff.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the ruling at least brings some certainty to the team's routine. "Now we know how it's going to be," Shanahan said. "It's already been three weeks like that, just working that way and we got three more weeks of it."

York has served as the 49ers' chief executive since 2008 and became the franchise's majority owner in 2024. Through 49ers Enterprises, he also holds minority stakes in English football club Leeds United and Scottish club Rangers. In May, he filed for divorce from his wife, Danielle.