Drew Drechsel, the Season 11 winner of the NBC show "American Ninja Warrior," has been sentenced to 121 months (10 years) in prison.

The sentencing, confirmed by the United States Attorney's Office District of New Jersey on June 26, 2024, follows Drechsel's conviction on federal charges involving inappropriate conduct with a minor.

Microsoft Hosting Summit to Strengthen Endpoint Security Post-CrowdStrike - USA Herald

Telegram CEO Detained in France Indefinitely - USA Herald

AI Assistants: Amazon’s Alexa Upgraded to Compete with ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini - USA Herald

FAA Grounds SpaceX Falcon 9 Following First-Stage Booster Crash - USA Herald

Arrest of American Ninja Warrior Winner 

Drechsel was first arrested in 2020, during the filming of Season 12 of "American Ninja Warrior." In response, NBC cut ties with the athlete, removing his presence from the season.

At the time, Drechsel was in a relationship with his longtime girlfriend, April Beckner, with whom he had a child in 2019.

Drechsel faced federal charges that included "seeking inappropriate images from a minor" and "inducing the minor to engage in explicit activities."

 A criminal complaint said Andrew “Drew” Drechsel met the victim, a teen from New Jersey, "after an event attended by numerous contestants (from) 'American Ninja Warrior.'"

In 2019, law enforcement searched a then-30-year-old Drechsel's phone and found the incriminating images of the underage girl. 

The charges were brought against him in a New Jersey court, where he was accused of manufacturing inappropriate material, enticing a minor to travel for illicit purposes, and using interstate communication to facilitate these actions.

Court Proceedings

The criminal complaint against Drechsel stated that he met the victim, a teenager from New Jersey, during an event attended by "American Ninja Warrior" contestants. In 2019, law enforcement searched Drechsel's phone, discovering images that led to the charges.

Drechsel, a resident of Saint Cloud, Florida, pleaded guilty on June 1, 2023, before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée M. Bumb in Camden federal court. The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed Drechsel's illegal activities, which spanned from 2014 to 2019, during which time he coerced the victim into crossing state lines to engage in illicit conduct.

Sentencing and Restitution

In addition to the 10-year prison sentence, Judge Bumb sentenced Drechsel to 15 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim. This case marks a significant legal outcome for the former "American Ninja Warrior" champion.