Leeds co-owner sentenced to day in jail after prostitution sting — Independent 25/8/26

Jed York, who is married with two kids, was arrested in East Palestine on Sunday after allegedly answering an ad on a known prostitution website

Josh Dubow & Rachel Dobkin

The Leeds United co-owner Jed York has been sentenced to a day in jail in Ohio after trying to pay a prostitute $140 (£102), according to police.

York, who is also the principal owner of NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers, with an ownership stake in Rangers too, was taken into custody on Sunday at a trailer park in East Palestine.

Initially charged with engaging in prostitution, prosecutors amended York’s charge to disorderly conduct.

The 46-year-old married executive, originally from Youngstown, Ohio, close to where he was arrested, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools.

York’s arrest came after he answered an ad on a known prostitution website in Columbiana County and “arranged to have sexual activity with the female in exchange for $140.00,” the California Post reported, citing court documents.

He then went to the trailer park to meet up with the woman, and an agent from the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force found York had his cellphone on him “which was used to arrange the criminal act,” according to the documents.

He was released after posting a $5,000 bond and was sentenced to one day in jail. York was credited with one day served when he pleaded no contest Monday morning, and he was also fined $1,150.

Records showed that York had his cellphone returned to him and that $160 was seized to be given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement. York also completed an online course.

He requested that the case be expunged from his record Monday, SFGate reported, citing court documents.

The NFL said it was “aware of the matter, which will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy” in a statement to Ohio outlet WKBN.

The Independent has reached out to the 49ers for comment.

York has been married to his wife Danielle Belluomini for more than a decade, and they have two sons, Jaxon and Brixton, according to the California Post.

He took over day-to-day control of the 49ers from his parents in 2008, and he became the team's principal owner in 2024. After some initial struggles under York's leadership, the team has been a consistent contender since hiring coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017.

The 49ers have made the Super Bowl three times under York's leadership, but lost in the 2012 season under coach Jim Harbaugh and the 2019 and 2023 seasons under Shanahan and Lynch.

York also oversaw the building of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The team moved from San Francisco to the new stadium in 2014. The stadium has hosted two Super Bowls, a World Cup and a College Football Playoff title game.