00:00In 2006, in Maple Ridge, east of Vancouver, came the first sign of trouble.
00:05Wedding's name appeared in an RCMP search warrant.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're exploring the most infamous times when celebrated Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic heroes
00:16were found to have committed shocking crimes.
00:18The South African has served just over half of his jail sentence following a crime and trial that dominated international
00:25headlines.
00:26Wolfgang Schwartz.
00:27Coming into the 1968 Winter Olympics, Schwartz wasn't expected to win anything in figure skating.
00:34After all, his Austrian teammate, Emmerich Danzer, had dominated the World and European Championships for years, with Schwartz often taking
00:42second.
00:43Yet he achieved the incredible by massively improving from his 15th place finish at the previous event to take the
00:50gold medal in the men's singles.
00:51Yet, fast forward decades later, Schwartz's once-prestigious reputation was in tatters.
00:57In 2002, he was sentenced to 18 months in jail for human trafficking.
01:03In 2006, Schwartz hadn't learned from his punishment, as he received another eight years for plotting to kidnap the daughter
01:10of Andre Serben,
01:11a wealthy Romanian businessman, whom he plans to ransom for around $4 million.
01:16James H. Snook.
01:18At nearly 40 years of age, Snook, a veterinarian, was part of the U.S. pistol team at the 1920
01:24Summer Olympics.
01:26With his aid, they went on to win two gold medals.
01:29Yet, six years later, Snook's life changed forever.
01:32And he's seen as a very bookish man, and he is lured into sort of the love nest of Theora
01:38Hicks.
01:39Already married to another woman, with whom he had a child, Snook met Theora Hicks, and they began an affair.
01:46In 1929, Hicks was murdered by Snook.
01:49He initially confessed to having killed her after she threatened the lives of his wife and child.
01:54However, Snook later claimed the confession was given under duress due to being attacked by investigators.
01:59Regardless, he was found guilty.
02:02In 1930, Snook became the first, and so far only, gold medalist to receive capital punishment.
02:16Riddick Bowe.
02:17After battling through several other boxers, the U.S.'s Bowe faced Canada's Lennox Lewis in the final of the super
02:23heavyweight division of the 1988 Summer Olympics.
02:26While he controversially ended with silver, Bowe would use the experience to transition into a pro boxer, becoming one of
02:32the sport's best heavyweights.
02:40In 1998, with his marriage falling apart, Bowe made a terrible decision when he abducted his estranged wife Judy and
02:48their five children by force.
02:49Judy was even stabbed.
02:51While Bowe pled guilty to the crime, he was, controversially, sentenced by the judge to only 30 days in jail,
02:57believing the boxer's brain injuries were a major factor.
03:01However, after the case went through multiple appeals, Bowe was sentenced to 18 months in 2003.
03:15Floyd Mayweather Jr.
03:17Before he became one of the greatest boxers with an undefeated 50 streak, Mayweather represented the U.S. at the
03:231996 Summer Olympics, earning him a bronze medal in the featherweight division, after a controversial loss to Serafin Todorov.
03:29Over the years, Mayweather has been convicted of violence multiple times.
03:33They blow things up bigger than what things are really made out to be, so things happen.
03:41In 2002, he received a six-month suspended sentence for domestic violence.
03:45Two years later, Mayweather got a one-year suspended sentence for attacking two women, which was followed by a 90
03:51-day suspended sentence for hitting a bouncer.
03:53In 2010, Mayweather's rage led him to being charged with domestic battery against a former girlfriend.
03:59After agreeing to a plea deal, he received a 90-day jail sentence, which he completed in 2012.
04:05Everything has been allegations.
04:07Nothing has been proven, so, you know, that's life.
04:10Ryan Wedding.
04:11At the 2002 Winter Olympics, as part of Team Canada, Wedding was involved in the men's parallel giant slalom, finishing
04:1824th out of 32 competitors.
04:20After that, the snowboarder left professional sports.
04:23Once an Olympic snowboarder from B.C., now one of the FBI's most wanted.
04:28Instead of coaching, or something related to athletics, Wedding got involved in the illegal substance industry, earning him a four
04:34-year sentence in 2008.
04:36Yet, upon his release, he seemingly stepped it up.
04:39He needs someone who needs to be brought to justice, because this won't be the end.
04:43Armed with a criminal empire, as well as continuing with selling and smuggling substances, Wedding allegedly got involved with murder,
04:50too.
04:51In 2024, the U.S. formally charged the Canadian.
04:54He earned himself a spot on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitive list, with a $15 million reward for his
05:00capture.
05:01And in early 2026, Wedding was arrested in Mexico, potentially facing life in prison.
05:06Stephen Vandevelde, a rising star in the Dutch beach volleyball scene.
05:11In 2014, Vandevelde destroyed that trajectory when he traveled to England to assault a fan, who was a minor.
05:18In 2016, after being extradited to England, Vandevelde was sentenced to four years in jail.
05:24As part of the deal, he returned to the Netherlands to serve his sentence, and was released after 13 months.
05:29Following his freedom, Vandevelde drew more ire for his lack of remorse.
05:33At the 2024 Summer Olympics, the disgraced volleyball player was selected to represent his nation at the tournament.
05:40A petition, with over 100,000 signatures, called for Vandevelde's removal.
05:44However, he competed, earning boos from the crowd as he did.
05:48Godwin Akpara
05:49Coming into the 2000 Summer Olympics, pressure was on for the Nigerian football team to duplicate their incredible gold medal
05:56-winning performance from 1996.
05:59Unfortunately, they were unable to do so, being eliminated in the quarterfinals.
06:03One of Nigeria's selected overage players was Paris Saint-Germain defender Akpara.
06:08A year following his retirement from football, any goodwill Akpara had created was smashed, when he was arrested in 2005
06:15for enslaving and assaulting his adopted daughter.
06:19In 2008, Akpara was sentenced to 10 years in jail, with his wife Linda earning 15 years for her involvement.
06:25In 2017, following both their releases, the former defender found himself in further controversy when he was arraigned for attacking
06:33Linda.
06:34Felix Verdejo
06:35At the 2012 Summer Olympics, while representing Puerto Rico in the men's boxing lightweight class, Verdejo lost in the quarterfinal
06:43to eventual gold medalist Vasily Lomonchenko.
06:46Yet he used that experience to transition into a title-winning pro boxer.
06:50In 2021, Kishla Rodriguez's body was found in the San Jose Lagoon.
06:55It soon emerged that not only was she murdered, but she was pregnant by Verdejo, who was reportedly married to
07:02someone else at the time.
07:04After allegedly pressuring Rodriguez to terminate the pregnancy and failing, Verdejo and a friend took drastic measures by taking her
07:11life.
07:12In 2023, the disgraced boxer was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
07:18Alfred Krupp von Bolen und Hallbach
07:20At the 1936 Summer Olympics, which were held in Germany during Adolf Hitler's reign of terror, Krupp was a member
07:27of the host nation's team that won a bronze medal in the 8-meter sailing event.
07:31As well as being an avid sailor, Krupp was also the head of the weapon manufacturer that bore his family
07:36name, and he was a keen supporter of Hitler.
07:39So much so that their connection led Krupp to using at least 100,000 prisoners as slave labor for his
07:46company.
07:46Following the end of the Second World War, Krupp was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
07:51However, in 1951, Krupp was pardoned by the U.S. authorities.
07:55He agreed to pay his victims nearly $1,200 each in compensation.
08:00Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest
08:05videos.
08:06You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
08:09If you're on your phone, make sure you go into settings and switch on your notifications.
08:16Oscar Pistorius
08:17Known as the Blade Runner, Pistorius was a megastar in the Paralympics.
08:22The place on South Africa's track team is the culmination of a difficult and at times controversial quest to become
08:28the first amputee track athlete to ever compete at an Olympics.
08:32And for good reason.
08:33After all, the South African won six gold medals, a silver, and one bronze during his record-smashing career as
08:39a sprinter.
08:39Yet, a year after competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Pistorius' legacy was forever tarnished when he killed his partner,
08:47Riva Steenkamp, at his home.
08:49While he claimed he believed Steenkamp was an intruder, causing him to fatally shoot her, Pistorius wasn't let off.
08:55The verdict was unanimous and unexpected.
08:58South Africa's Supreme Court calling Pistorius' original jail sentence inappropriate and raising it.
09:05After several trials, which saw the conviction against Pistorius changed to murder, and the punishment increased multiple times over the
09:12years, he eventually received a 13-year and 5-month sentence in 2017.
09:17In 2024, the disgraced athlete was released on parole.
09:20For five years, he'll live under conditions. He could be returned to prison if he breaches them.
09:25Did we miss any other Olympic heroes turned criminals from the video? Let us know below.
09:35We'll see you next time.
Comments