AG: Ex-US Olympic gymnastics coach charged in human trafficking dies by suicide

LANSING, Mich. — John Geddert, a former Olympic gymnastics coach with ties to disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar, committed suicide, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office confirmed Thursday. He was 63.

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Geddert was charged Thursday morning with 24 counts, including human trafficking, sexual assault, racketeering and lying to police, the Detroit Free Press reported. He was head coach of the 2012 U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team, which won a gold medal.

“My office has been notified that the body of John Geddert was found late this afternoon after taking his own life,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a written statement. “This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved.”

Michigan State Police are investigating the death.

Earlier Thursday, a staff member in the office of Attorney General Dana Nessel confirmed that Geddert had not arrived for his scheduled arraignment.

Michigan State Police are investigating the death, the Free Press reported.

Earlier Thursday, a staff member in Nessel’s office confirmed that Geddert had not arrived for his scheduled arraignment.

Geddert’s gym sometimes employed imprisoned former Michigan State University sports medicine Dr. Larry Nassar, who is serving prison sentences totaling more than 100 years for sexually assaulting women and girls, MLive reported.

Geddert was charged with first-degree criminal sexual assault, punishable by up to life in prison; second-degree criminal sexual assault, punishable by up to 15 years in prison; 14 counts of human trafficking, forced labor causing injury, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison; six counts of human trafficking of a minor, forced labor, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison; operating a criminal enterprise, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and lying to a police officer during a violent crime investigation, punishable by up to four years in prison.

Michigan State Police tweeted that troopers found Geddert’s body about 3:24 p.m. at a rest area on eastbound Interstate 96 in Clinton County.

“It is alleged that John Geddert used force, fraud and coercion against young athletes that came to him for gymnastics training for financial benefit to him,” Nessel said earlier Thursday. “The victims suffered from disordered eating, including bulimia, anorexia, suicide attempts and self harm, excessive physical conditioning, repeatedly being forced to perform, even when injured, extreme emotional abuse and physical abuse, including sexual assault.”

Geddert was accused of lying to investigators in 2016 when he denied hearing complaints about Nassar, The Associated Press reported. He denied any knowledge of Nassar’s action, but several gymnasts claimed they were verbally abused by Geddert and were forced to see Nassar for treatments, the AP reported. Geddert was suspended by USA Gymnastics in 2018 and turned over control of Twistars to his wife.

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