COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, March 26. USA Swimming added two more people to the Banned for Life list today, as Lorrie John Trites and Joe Weber have been banned for life from the organization.
Trites is on the FBI's Most Wanted List, for “allegedly making video and voice recordings of several young women as they changed their clothing in the ladies locker room of the aquatic center.”
Trites was initially arrested and charged with six counts of violating the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act on a warrant issued in March of 1998. Trites then fled, and has since been charged with “unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.”
Trites' case also appeared on the television show “America's Most Wanted” in 2008. Trites' ban is effective February 25, 2013.
Since the abuse occurred back in 1997-98, the Code of Conduct violation spans from the code in place at the time:
USA SWIMMING RULEBOOK (1995-1998) – SECTION 401.1
401.1 GENERAL – As hereinafter set forth, the USS may censure, suspend for a definite or indefinite period of time with or without terms of probation, fine, or expel any member of USS, including any athlete, coach, manager, official, member of any committee, or any person participating in any capacity whatsoever in the affairs of USS, who has violated any of its rules or regulations, or who aids, abets, and encourages another to violate any of its rules or regulations, or who has acted in a manner which brings disrepute upon USS or upon the sport of swimming. USS may also conduct hearings on any matter affecting USS as the national governing body for swimming.
Additionally, USA Swimming banned Joe Weber for life with his ban also effective February 25, 2013.
Weber plead guilty to having sex with a teen in 1995, and spent five years in jail for the offense. He was fired by Somerset YMCA last August after this news came to the forefront.
Weber was ruled to have been in violation of the following Code of Conduct items:
USA SWIMMING RULEBOOK (1986-1994) – SECTION 401.1
401.1 GENERAL – As herein set forth, the Corporation may censure, suspend for a definite or indefinite period of time with or without terms of probation, or expel any member of the Corporation, including any athlete, coach, manager, official, member of any committee, or any person participating in any capacity whatsoever in the affairs of the Corporation, who has violated any of its rules or regulations, or who aids, abets, and encourages another to violate any of its rules or regulations, or who has acted in a manner which brings disrepute upon the Corporation or upon the sport of swimming. The Corporation may also conduct hearings on any matter affecting the Corporation as the national governing body for swimming.
CODE OF CONDUCT (1999-2010) – SECTION 304.3.4
304.3.4 Conviction of, imposition of a deferred sentence for, or any plea of guilty or no contest at any time, past or present, or the existence of any pending charges, for (i) any felony, (ii) any offense involving use, possession, distribution or intent to distribute illegal drugs or substances, or (iii) any crime involving sexual misconduct.