New details from 49ers owner Jed York’s arrest: Fake ad, rental car and $160 cash

San Francisco 49ers owner and Chief Executive John “Jed” York was arrested after responding to an online ad advertising a prostitute that ended up being a ploy set up by local officers, according to a recently released arrest report.

York, 45, was arrested Sunday in the prostitution sting, initially facing misdemeanor charges of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. But on Monday, he pleaded no contest to only the former charge and a new misdemeanor — disorderly conduct.

He was arrested by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which is a regional collaboration of law enforcement that includes support from the Ohio attorney general’s office. Officers from that task force had posted an ad “on a known prostitution website,” to which York had responded with his interest in meeting up with the supposed woman, though he used the pseudonym “Joe,” according to the partially-redacted arrest report.

California

San Francisco 49ers owner arrested in Ohio, pleads no contest to two misdemeanors

John “Jed” York was arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution by a task force focused on human trafficking, but he pleaded no contest to different misdemeanor charges, according to court records.

Aug. 24, 2026

He messaged the number from the ad three times before an officer overseeing the sting responded, the report said. York asked how much the woman charged for one hour, and was told it would cost him $160 for “full service sexual activity,” and $20 additionally for unprotected sex, the report said. York allegedly replied that $160 “worked for him.”

He was given the address of a mobile home park to meet the woman and responded that he was on his way, the report said.

Law enforcement officers were instead waiting for him at the mobile home park, the report said. After stopping York in a rental car, officers found him in possession of $160 in cash, the report said. They also sent another text message to the phone used in the prostitution sting, and that message showed up on York’s phone, the report said.

York had filed for divorce from his wife in May due to irreconcilable differences, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The outlet said the proceedings in the case were still ongoing at the time of York’s arrest.

York grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, just north of East Palestine, where he was arrested.

After entering a plea in the case, York had requested records from the case be sealed, but his request was denied by an administrative judge, court records show.

The Times attempted to contact the attorney listed in York’s court records, but did not receive a response. A spokesperson for the 49ers has declined to comment on the case.