San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York was arrested in Ohio after allegedly responding to an undercover prostitution advertisement and arranging to pay $140 for sexual activity, according to court records and police information cited by multiple reports.

York, 46, was arrested Sunday, Aug. 23, at the Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community in East Palestine, Ohio.

According to records obtained by ESPN and reported by PEOPLE, investigators allege that York responded to an undercover advertisement placed on a website known for prostitution activity and arranged to meet a woman in exchange for money.

The alleged agreement was specific: $140 for sexual activity.

Police arrested York after he arrived at the agreed-upon location with the cellphone authorities say he had used to communicate in response to the advertisement.

The initial charge of engaging in prostitution was later amended, and York ultimately pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools.

The case was resolved quickly, but the circumstances surrounding the arrest have drawn national attention because York is one of the NFL’s most recognizable team owners.

Police Say York Responded to an Undercover Advertisement

According to court records obtained by ESPN, the case began when York allegedly responded to an undercover advertisement posted on a website authorities associate with prostitution.

Investigators allege that conversations then progressed to an agreement.

York allegedly “arranged to have sexual activity” with a woman in exchange for $140, according to the records cited by PEOPLE.

A meeting location was arranged at the Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community in East Palestine.

York arrived there Sunday morning.

Police arrested him at approximately 9:35 a.m.

Authorities also alleged that York possessed the cellphone used to respond to the advertisement when he arrived at the location.

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force assisted East Palestine police in the operation, according to a police report obtained by ESPN.

The Original Prostitution Charge Was Amended

Although the allegations initially involved engaging in prostitution, that was not the charge to which York ultimately entered his plea.

According to PEOPLE, the initial prostitution charge was amended to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

York pleaded no contest to that charge as well as a misdemeanor count of possessing criminal tools.

A no-contest plea generally means a defendant does not formally admit guilt but accepts the conviction and punishment without contesting the charge.

The court ordered York to serve one day in jail on the charges.

He received credit for one day already served, meaning he was not required to serve additional jail time under that sentence.

Court records also show that he was ordered to pay fines of $1,000 and $150.

That resolution closed the criminal matter quickly, even as details of what allegedly led to the arrest continued spreading publicly.

The 49ers Issued a Brief Statement

After news of York’s arrest became public, the San Francisco 49ers issued a short statement to PEOPLE.

The organization did not dispute or elaborate on the reported circumstances.

Instead, the team emphasized that the court matter had already concluded.

“As this is a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time,” the 49ers said.

The limited response leaves many questions unanswered about whether York will face any separate consequences from the NFL or within the organization.

PEOPLE’s Aug. 24 report did not cite any league discipline stemming from the incident.

York Has Been Running the 49ers for Years

York is not simply a minority investor or distant member of the ownership group.

He has held a central leadership role with one of professional football’s most famous franchises for years.

He became chief executive officer of the 49ers in 2010.

In 2024, York became the team’s principal owner after his mother, Denise DeBartolo York, sold him additional equity in the franchise, PEOPLE reported, citing USA Today Sports.

That position makes the arrest particularly notable.

NFL owners operate in a league where player conduct routinely receives enormous scrutiny, and allegations involving ownership can create questions about whether the same standards will be applied at the highest organizational level.

For the moment, however, the publicly documented consequence is the Ohio court resolution.

Why the $140 Detail Has Drawn So Much Attention

The allegation might otherwise have been reported simply as a prostitution-related arrest.

But the court records include a very specific figure that has become central to the headlines.

Investigators allege that York agreed to pay $140.

That figure, combined with the reported meeting place at a mobile home community and York’s status as the wealthy owner of an NFL franchise, has made the circumstances especially striking to readers.

Still, it is important to separate the allegations from the charges that were ultimately resolved.

Authorities alleged that York arranged to exchange money for sexual activity.

The original engaging-in-prostitution count was later reduced.

York pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools.

Those are the offenses reflected in the final court disposition described by PEOPLE.

The Arrest Came at an Awkward Time for the Franchise

The incident also arrived as the football world was preparing for another NFL season.

Team owners are typically most visible during this period as organizations finalize rosters, prepare for opening games and try to keep public attention focused on football.

Instead, the 49ers suddenly found themselves responding to questions about their principal owner.

The team’s decision to say little beyond noting that the legal matter had been resolved suggests an effort to prevent the story from becoming an ongoing organizational controversy.

Whether that strategy works may depend on whether any additional information emerges or whether the NFL decides to review the incident separately.

As of PEOPLE’s Aug. 24 report, no such additional action had been announced.

A High-Profile Owner and a Very Specific Allegation

What makes the story unusual is the collision of an extremely prominent position with an allegation that unfolded in a surprisingly ordinary location.

York runs a franchise worth billions of dollars and occupies one of the most powerful positions in American professional sports.

Yet according to the records cited in reports, investigators say the sequence began with an online advertisement and ended at a mobile home community in a small Ohio town.

Police say he arrived with the cellphone used to arrange the meeting.

He was arrested shortly after 9:30 in the morning.

The initial prostitution accusation was then reduced, and the case ended with misdemeanor convictions, fines and credit for time already served.

The 49ers have made clear that they consider the legal matter finished.

But the story has attracted attention far beyond the brief court proceeding because of who York is — and because of one remarkably specific allegation at the center of it.

Authorities say the billionaire NFL owner had arranged to pay $140.

And when he arrived at the location where the meeting was supposed to happen, police were waiting.