Former NFL Star Darren Sharper Receives 18 Year Prison Sentence On Rape And Drugging Charges

U.S. Marion Schneider
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A federal judge sentenced former New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper to 18 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a number of charges related to the raping and drugging of several women in four different states.

While prosecutors had initially suggested a nine-year sentence for Sharper, Judge Jane Triche Milazzo rejected this proposal immediately, deeming it far too lenient for the crimes that had been committed.

Sharper stood accused of raping and drugging women in Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona, and California and was facing separate cases in all four states, in addition to the federal court. The sentence that was handed down to Sharper on Thursday was a mere 15 months short of the maximum and he will also receive a $20,000 fine for his actions.

He will be sentenced in Orleans Parish next week and any sentence received is to be served at the same time as his stay in the federal penitentiary. One of his victims told him to “go to hell” at the sentencing and spoke openly of the stupidity and arrogance that he showcased by perpetrating so many attacks on so many women in such a short period of time.

Sharper had established a post-playing career as an NFL Network analyst when all of the allegations began to come to light. While the current charges only include nine victims, Judge Milazzo believes that there could be as many as sixteen.

Brandon Licciardi, a former sheriff’s deputy in St. Bernard Parish, also pleaded guilty to his role in the crime, admitting that he and Sharper would slip sedatives into women’s drinks and sexually assault them. He accepted a plea deal and will be serving a 17-year prison sentence.