Darren Sharper enters another guilty plea, this time in New Orleans
Two months after pleading guilty to sexual assault in Arizona, longtime NFL safety Darren Sharper entered another guilty plea in federal court in New Orleans on Friday morning.
According to the New Orleans Advocate, Sharper, a six-time All-Pro, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to distribute drugs with the intent to commit rape. Sharper has now pleaded guilty or no contest to sexual assault charges in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana in a “global plea deal” his attorneys have reached with prosecutors around the country.
Per the Advocate, Sharper is next expected to plead guilty to three rape charges on June 15.
Sharper, 39, was accused of drugging and raping nine different women across four states in 2013 and early 2014. He was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2014.
As part of Friday’s plea, nine more years are expected to be added to Sharper’s sentence. He also faces interviews with New Orleans investigators.
From the Advocate:
Sharper is slated to serve at least nine more years behind bars in federal custody, before a release to parole officials in California and, after that, lifetime probation in Arizona, according to the terms of the deal.
But first, before his sentencing in state and federal courts, investigators in New Orleans will get a crack at Sharper in scheduled interviews that require him to be fully truthful or risk losing what some legal observers consider a generous deal, at least in terms of prison time.
A sentencing date for Sharper in the federal case will be set for a future date. Under the deal, Sharper will plead guilty in Orleans Parish to two counts of forcible rape and a count of simple rape from two separate incidents in 2013 involving three women.
Technically, the plea deal has Sharper serving a 20-year Louisiana prison sentence, but he would be credited for his time in federal prison, on probation or parole in other states, unless he violates the terms.
Sharper played 14 years in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, winning the Super Bowl with the Saints in 2010. In addition to six All-Pro selections, Sharper was voted to the Pro Bowl five times.
Following his retirement in 2010, Sharper briefly worked an an analyst for NFL Network.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
