Ryan Lochte will be summoned to give testimony in front of Brazil's Justice Department in Rio de Janeiro over his claim he and other U.S. Olympic swimmers were robbed at gunpoint, a police official told Fox News on Thursday.

Lochte has since apologized for embellishing his version of events. He cannot testify in the U.S. and would have to appear in person in court in Brazil or be tried in absentia.

There is no penalty for him not appearing in front of the Justice Department, but if he doesn't appear he won't be able to engage in a plea deal, Detective Clemente Braune said. Lochte returned to the U.S. last week.

The civil police in Brazil say they will finish their investigation this week and send their findings to state prosecutors. Through an international cooperation agreement, the findings will be sent to the proper federal U.S. law enforcement agency which will notify Lochte, police add.

Initially, Lochte said he and three teammates -- Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen -- were robbed after their taxi was pulled over by armed men posing as police just hours after the swimming competition ended in Rio.

That version quickly unraveled when police said the swimmers, who had attended a late-night party, never reported the incident to authorities and there was scant evidence of a robbery. Video surveillance emerged showing the athletes getting into a confrontation with armed security guards over alleged vandalism at a gas station when their taxi pulled over to let them use the restroom.

While there have been conflicting versions over whether the guards pulled their weapons on the swimmers, Lochte has since acknowledged he was highly intoxicated and that his behavior led to the confrontation, which resulted in the swimmers paying some $50 in U.S. and Brazilian currency before they were allowed to leave. The incident caused a furor in Rio, where street crime was a major issue heading into the games.

In quick succession, four sponsors announced Monday they were dumping the swimmer. Swimsuit company Speedo USA, clothing giant Ralph Lauren and skin-care firm Syneron-Candela issued statements less than three hours apart, all with the same message: Lochte is out. Before the day was done, Japanese mattress maker airweave followed suit, essentially wiping out Lochte's income away from the pool. In addition, Speedo USA said $50,000 that would've gone to the 12-time Olympic medalist was being donated to Save The Children to benefit needy youngsters in Brazil.

Feigen wound up donating just under $11,000 to a Brazilian nonprofit sports organization to settle any potential legal action. Bentz issued a statement saying Lochte tore a sign off a wall at the gas station and got into a heated exchange with the security officers, though Bentz denied the swimmers did any damage to a locked bathroom as authorities alleged.

Lochte, long one of the most popular U.S. athletes, is known for his trademark saying "Jeah!" and such antics as wearing diamond grillz on the medal stand and dying his hair a silvery color before the Rio Games. Lochte also starred in a short-lived reality television show after the 2012 Olympics.

For 2016, he qualified in only one individual event, finishing fifth in the 200-meter individual medley, far behind longtime rival Michael Phelps. Lochte did help Phelps and the Americans win gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay.

Fox News' Steve Harrigan, Heather Lacy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.