IOC executive arrested, accused of scalping tickets

A top Olympic official was arrested for illegally selling tickets for the Rio Games, according to multiple published reports Wednesday.
The arrest of Patrick Hickey was part of a larger probe into tickets allotted to Ireland that were being scalped at the Summer Games. Irish broadcast outlet RTE reported that Hickey faces three charges, which, if convicted, would lead to as many as seven years in prison.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said said the allegations centered on 1,000 tickets belonging to the Irish national Olympic committee. Adams added that IOC is not representing Hickey in his legal proceedings.
“It’s very much at this stage something for the Irish National Olympic Committee…and for them to sort out,” Adams said.
The Olympic Council of Ireland -- the body Hickey has led since 1989 -- issued a statement where it said "is aware of the media stories" of Hickey's arrest.
"We are seeking total clarity on the situation before we comment further," the Olympic Council of Ireland said in the statement.
Hickey, a former Irish judo champion, was elected as Ireland's IOC representative in 1995 and the IOC's executive board in 2012. He ran unopposed in 2013 to serve another four-year term as president of the European Olympic Committees.
Hickey, 71, was not in his room when police arrived with a warrant Wednesday morning, according to reports. His wife told police he had returned to Ireland, but he was found elsewhere in the hotel.
Hickey received medical attention when he became ill after his arrest, according to reports.
Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo was among the first Brazilian news outlets to report Hickey’s arrest.
Police presented Hickey's passport, Olympic credentials and airline ticket to reporters at a news conference.
"Today's arrest shows that the law must be followed," top police investigator Ricardo Barbosa told a news conference. "Even more when we are talking about the biggest sporting event that should uphold ethics and an international spirit. We found out that the Irish Olympic Committee ended up facilitating the ticket scalping scheme."
Mario Andrada, Rio 2016 Organizing Committee spokesman, said they worked with police for years leading up to the Olympics to improve the ticketing system and adjust the appearance and security features on tickets to avoid scalping issues that plagued the 2014 World Cup.
“We worked the ticketing system for Rio 2016 consulting and giving information to the police from the beginning. We wanted to make sure there would be no similar instances in the Games.”
An Irish executive was arrested last week in the same investigation and four other executives are wanted in the probe.
Agents have seized more than 1,000 tickets that were being sold for high fees and allocated to the Olympic Council of Ireland. The company suspected is British hospitality provider THG Sports.
Kevin James Mallon, one of the heads of THG Sports, was arrested at the start of the Rio Games along with an employee who was working as an interpreter. Police say Mallon had fake tickets.
After those arrests, the Olympic Council of Ireland said it would investigate why some of its tickets were in their possession. The OCI name was visible on tickets displayed by police, but the Irish said they had "no knowledge" of the two men arrested.
Adams, the IOC spokesperson, said there are 6.5 million tickets sold for the Summer Olympics, which he called "the biggest ticketing ... event in the world"
“Can we improve it?" Adams said. "Yes. I hope we can.”
Paste BN's Alan Gomez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.