FORMER NFL STAR DARREN SHARPER SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RAPING WOMEN NEW ORLEANS -- Former NFL star Darren Sharper has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in a case where he was accused of drugging and raping as many as 16 women in four states.
Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced Sharper on Thursday. He had pleaded guilty or no-contest to charges arising from the allegations of drugging and raping women in federal court in New Orleans, and state courts in Louisiana, Arizona, California and Nevada.
Prosecutors suggested a nine-year prison term for Sharper under a multijurisdictional plea deal, but Milazzo rejected it as too lenient in June. The sentence was 15 months short of the maximum. He was also fined $20,000.
Sharper pleaded guilty in federal court to three counts of distributing drugs with rape as the aim. He or his friend Brandon Licciardi, a former sheriff"s deputy in neighboring St. Bernard Parish, put anti-anxiety drugs or sedatives into women"s drinks so they could rape them, according to a 15-page statement signed as part of that plea.
Milazzo has scheduled sentencing Oct. 13 for Licciardi and a second New Orleans codefendant, Erik Nunez.
Charges around the country involve nine victims, but Milazzo has said in court that there may be as many as 16.
Like Sharper, Licciardi and Nunez admitted distributing drugs with the intent to commit rape. Their plea agreements say Licciardi has accepted a 17-year sentence, with 10 years for Nunez.
Sharper was named All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times during a career that included stints with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and one with New Orleans Saints when they won in 2010.
He ended a 14-year career in 2011. He was working as a television analyst when women began telling police in several cities similar stories of blacking out while drinking with him and waking up groggy to find they had been sexually abused.
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FORMER NFL STAR DARREN SHARPER SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RAPING WOMEN
NEW ORLEANS -- Former NFL star Darren Sharper has been sentenced to 18 years and four months in prison in a case where he was accused of drugging and raping as many as 16 women in four states.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced Sharper on Thursday, telling him she couldn"t understand how he did what he did, since he was college educated and obviously had grown up "in one of the most loving households."
"We can never ignore the damage you inflicted on those women and society at large," she said.
Sharper had pleaded guilty in federal court in New Orleans to drugging three women so he could rape them. He also has pleaded guilty or no contest in state courts in Louisiana, Arizona, California and Nevada to charges arising from allegations of drugging and raping women.
"I would like to apologize a thousand times," Sharper said. He looked at the floor as he said, "I"m still trying to figure out why I made some of these choices. ... I lived my life right for 38 years, then I took this path."
His voice thickened and broke as he said his parents hadn"t raised him to take such actions.
Defense attorney Billy Gibbens asked leniency because Sharper"s testimony helped get "late" guilty pleas from two codefendants who will be sentenced in October.
Sharper will be sentenced next Thursday in Louisiana state court, Gibbens said outside court. He said he believes Sharper will be sentenced next month in Las Vegas, and couldn"t recall the Los Angeles sentencing date. (See full story.)
Giants: Brown confirms domestic violence chargeEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants kicker Josh Brown has confirmed that an arrest on a domestic violence charge in May 2015 led to his one-game suspension by the NFL for violating the league"s personal conduct policy.
Speaking after practice on Thursday, the 37-year-old Brown said the woman whose wrist he grabbed in Woodinville, Wash. during a disagreement was his wife. He said the couple has since divorced.
Brown said the case was dismissed by the King County Prosecutor"s office five days after his arrest for fourth-degree domestic violence.
A spokesman for the prosecutor said in an email to The Associated Press that no charge was filed because of insufficient evidence.
Brown said he informed the Giants immediately after his arrest, and the team informed the league.
He was notified of his suspension in June. He appealed the decision and it was rejected. The league announced the suspension Wednesday.
Broncos: Siemian competing with SanchezENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Trevor Siemian, locked in a tight battle with Mark Sanchez for the Broncos" starting quarterback job, will get his turn to start on Saturday night, when Denver plays a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Sanchez, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia as a potential replacement for the retired Peyton Manning, started last week"s game.
Rookie first-round pick Paxton Lynch also is in the mix, though the bulk of his work has been with the third team.
Siemian and Sanchez have split repetitions with the Broncos first-team offense throughout training camp and with the two waging a close competition for the job, coach Gary Kubiak decided Siemian should also get a crack at starting.
Kubiak said he would like to make a decision on a starter next week but did not rule out taking more time to finalize his pick.
49ers:Kaepernick resumes throwingENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Colin Kaepernick threw dozens of passes on the side during the 49ers" joint practice Thursday with the Denver Broncos, signaling the quarterback"s return from a sore passing shoulder.
The throws were the first on the practice field in a week for Kaepernick, whose competition with Blaine Gabbert for the starting job had to be put on hold after tightness in his right shoulder forced him to rest his throwing arm.
Kaepernick also took part in individual quarterback drills and conditioning. However, coach Chip Kelly said Kaepernick would be eased back into full participation in practices and ruled him out for Saturday night"s exhibition game against the Broncos.
Panthers: OT Willie Smith signsCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Panthers signed 29-year-old offensive tackle Willie Smith to help bolster their depth on the offensive line.
The move comes after backup tackles Daryl Williams and David Foucault have struggled in training camp and the preseason. Michael Oher and Mike Remmers are expected to be Carolina"s starting offensive tackles again this season.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Smith didn"t play in the NFL last season, but saw action in 15 games in 2014 with the San Diego Chargers. Smith, who played at East Carolina, has started 11 games and played in 19 since breaking into the league with the Washington Redskins in 2011.
Carolina waived injured fullback Devon Johnson to make room for Smith on the roster.
