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In the high-octane, competitive world of professional sports, players often treat us to a dazzling display of their on-field prowess and make the headlines for their stellar performances.
However, these same people sometimes become trending for all the wrong reasons.
Take Henry Ruggs III, for instance, a promising NFL athlete who gave us a blunt reminder of how distressing the consequences of drunk driving can be.
Up to this day, alcohol-impaired driving remains one of the most prominent safety concerns on U.S. (United States) roads.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 37 deaths in the United States every day are caused by drunk-driving crashes. That’s one person dead for every 39 minutes.
In 2021, there were 13,384 recorded deaths concerning drunk driving — a 14% increase from the previous year. All of these deaths could have been prevented.
With such a high number of drunk-driving cases in the country, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some well-known people, including celebrities and sports personalities, sometimes figure in these crimes.
In the case of the wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, you might wonder about the details of his sentence or how he pleaded his case. You might also ask if witnesses were at the scene to prove his guilt or innocence.
This article aims to discuss the NFL receiver’s sentence and whether he is or will be incarcerated. This article also discusses the details of his potential release.
Do you have a loved one arrested for drunk driving or any other related crimes and want to know where they are being locked up?
You can use LookUpInmate.org’s online inmate search tool to access records from more than 7,000 correctional facilities in the U.S.
What to Know About Jail Term for Former Raiders Receiver Henry Ruggs III in Fatal DUI Crash
Driving under the influence or DUI is a grave concern, with outcomes sometimes turning fatally serious. The aftermath of a DUI resulting in death is always tragic. Yet, variables can play a role in determining the penalties.
Many factors can come into play: the location of the incident, the prosecutor, or even the judge presiding over the case can greatly influence its trajectory.
While many U.S. states have established laws regarding the fatalities caused by driving, terms like “vehicular manslaughter” and “vehicular homicide” still get tossed around.
In Ohio, for instance, one is charged with vehicular manslaughter when they unintentionally cause another person’s death while committing a minor misdemeanor traffic violation. Examples of such traffic offenses include running a red light or speeding.
Meanwhile, a driver is found guilty of vehicular homicide if they cause someone’s death by speeding in a construction zone or driving negligently.
What’s critical here is when negligence is proven. The court charges a driver with such if it believes that the error was made not out of malice but due to a lapse of care.
In certain states, just the mere act of driving while intoxicated and where a death results can cause the driver to be charged with a vehicular homicide case.
Such is known as a DUI manslaughter charge, and it can be applied regardless of whether or not the driver obeyed all other traffic laws and drove carefully. Florida law is notably very strict in this regard.
Former Raiders player Henry Ruggs III was imprisoned after he admitted guilt in a DUI case.
The case is tied to the November 2021 incident in Las Vegas, which sadly took the lives of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.
After hearing about his involvement in a drunk-driving case, the Raiders promptly parted ways with Ruggs.
Legal representatives Richard Schonfeld and David Chessnoff negotiated a plea agreement, which resulted in Ruggs serving notably less time compared to usual sentences for death-related DUI cases in Nevada.
For his felony charge of DUI leading to death and a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter, Ruggs is set to serve a span of 3 to 10 years in a state correctional facility.
The plea deal instigated by his lawyers led to the dismissal of other charges against him.
Initially, Henry Ruggs was charged with Class B felonies — one count for each DUI that caused substantial bodily harm or death and another for reckless driving leading to substantial bodily harm or death.
When a person faces convictions for multiple charges of DUI, the court might decide that the jail term be served back to back.
Later, due to the injuries sustained by his girlfriend, additional charges were added to Ruggs’ account.
Authorities also charged him with a misdemeanor count for the possession of a loaded firearm in his car while under the influence.
Thomas Moskal, a former DUI prosecutor and now defense attorney, spoke to the Las Vegas Review-Journal and stated that the deal is leaning toward the ex-Raiders receiver.
Moskal mentioned that 3 to 10 years seems relatively less than what’s usually expected in a DUI fatality case.
Rugg’s misdemeanor for vehicular manslaughter entailed a sentence of six months in the Clark County (Nevada) Detention Center.
As part of the agreement, both parties have decided that Ruggs would serve the misdemeanor count with his felony sentence, meaning he will serve his prison sentence simultaneously.
Without the plea agreement and if ever he had been found guilty of all the accusations, Ruggs could face a sentence of not less than 52 years behind bars.
This would encompass a maximum sentence of 12 years for his reckless driving charges, six months for possession of firearms while intoxicated, and 40 years for the DUI offenses.
Former Raider Henry Ruggs Pleads Guilty to DUI
In a turn of events that left the entire sports world in shock and disbelief, former Las Vegas Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs entered a guilty plea for his case of driving under the influence of alcohol.
You can visit our website to learn more about the consequences, duration, and other repercussions of DUI jail time.
Ruggs drove his sports car while intoxicated, reaching speeds of about 156mph on an urban street before causing a fiery crash that unfortunately killed an innocent woman and her dog.
“Guilty,” was the first-rounder NFL draft pick’s plea, which led to a sentence of 3 to 10 years in state prison.
Ruggs’ minimum three-year sentence will not be reduced by counting his house arrest duration of one-and-a-half years.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson has revealed potential challenges to securing a conviction during a trial. Wolfson also mentioned that he met with the victim’s family members a couple of times.
Most importantly, Wolfson states that the plea deal with Ruggs has met their primary goals.
As you may know, Henry Ruggs, the NFL star receiver, was convicted of felony DUI causing death. He will be incarcerated and unable to appeal his conviction and sentence.
While Ruggs did not comment on his short appearance in court, his legal team did.
Chessnoff and Schonfeld, Ruggs’ attorneys, mentioned that Henry entered his plea hoping that it would help heal the wounds caused by the unforeseen scenario.
Ruggs is now serving his sentence at the High Desert State Prison in Nevada.
Sentenced to at Least Three Years for Crash That Killed Woman
Authorities say that Ruggs, the former Alabama wide receiver, currently 24, drove his Chevrolet Corvette at breakneck speeds at around 3:40 a.m.
Sources also indicate that Henry’s car collided with Tina Tintor’s SUV, causing a fire that claimed both the lives of Tintor and her dog, Max.
Blood tests revealed that Rugg’s blood-alcohol level at that time was at 0.16, which is about twice the legal limit set by Nevada.
Kiara Kilgo-Washington, Rugg’s girlfriend, also sustained injuries from the crash. The Raiders promptly dismissed Ruggs from their roster after his mishap.
In a recent court appearance, Henry Ruggs, donning a black suit and tie, was accompanied by his defense attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld.
Ruggs read a pre-written statement and said that his actions weren’t a reflection of who he truly is. Addressing Tintor’s family in court, Ruggs also voiced his remorse, saying he hopes to find healing and reconciliation someday.
The presiding judge, Jennifer Schwartz, described the case as exceptionally tragic.
Tintor’s mother, Mirjana Komazec, prepared a statement read by a family representative. She conveyed the anguish of losing a child due to another person’s neglectful acts.
Although Ruggs did not admit to taking alcohol post-accident, authorities have acquired a warrant to perform blood tests during his visit to the hospital. Legal debates have arisen about whether this warrant is deemed valid.
Steven Wolfson, the district attorney of Clark County, later admitted the uncertainty of the blood sample’s admissibility during the trial, which led to the plea deal offer.
Wolfson also shared that if the blood samples were dismissed from the case, then the felony DUI charge against Ruggs could be jeopardized.
Eve Hanan, an associate dean at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, said in an interview that the police do not have enough verbal or visual evidence to justify that Ruggs was indeed drunk at the time of the accident.
On the other hand, the victim’s family said in a statement that they wanted to put the case to rest. They emphasized the tragic loss of their loved ones, hoping others could take a lesson or two from this grievous episode in their lives.
Ruggs was temporarily released from prison in November 2021 after posting a $150,000 bail bond and subject to the condition of a strict house arrest.
His legal team stated that Ruggs acknowledges the judgment and aspires to positively impact society after he completes his prison term.
This incident is just among several other controversial incidents that have involved NFL players. Take, for example, the case of New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara, whom the NFL sanctioned with a three-game suspension due to his involvement in an altercation outside a Las Vegas establishment in 2022.
Kamara settled on a plea deal to evade incarceration. However, this agreement mandates Kamara to engage in community service, pay a substantial amount of fine, and cover the medical expenses of the injured party, Darnell Greene.
Crash Details
As per the Review-Journal, the details of Ruggs’s arrest report indicated that he was speeding up to 156mph when his Corvette violently impacted the rear portion of Tintor’s Toyota RAV4. The collision caused Tintor’s vehicle to catch fire afterward.
A report from the Clark County coroner said that Tintor and her dog, Max, succumbed to severe burn injuries.
Legal representatives assert that Henry Ruggs’ blood alcohol concentration stood at 0.16 at that time, which is way above what’s permissible in Nevada.
Additionally, Tony Rodriguez, a witness who tried to help Tina Tintor in the car crash, shared the scary experience with Sports Illustrated’s Jeff Pearlman in a recent article.
Rodriguez and his friend, Johnny Ellis, were driving south on Rainbow Boulevard when they came across the crash. As he stumbled upon the scene, Rodriguez parked his car in the middle of the street and ran to help Kilgo-Washington first.
Rodriguez stated that Kilgo-Washington was screaming for help as Ruggs, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, was already ejected halfway from the vehicle.
While Ellis managed to acquire a hammer to break into the locked RAV4, Rodriguez was unfortunately unable to free Tintor inside, whose seatbelt was jammed. Tony said two more people came to help, but to no avail.
Shaken, Tony and Johnny later stopped at a nearby hospital to clean up.
A local TV station, KLAS, presented a receipt from Topgolf, which says that the night before the accident in Las Vegas, Ruggs and his group spent $450 for beverages.
“I sincerely apologize,” Ruggs said as he expressed his grief and remorse to the Tintor family.
Henry Ruggs III: Prison Booking Photo in Nevada Prison Incarceration
Now that the former Raider wide receiver, Henry Ruggs III, has commenced his jail term for a deadly DUI conviction, an updated booking photo of him has been released online.
Authorities have decreed Ruggs’ punishment to be between 3 to 10 years. Based on the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) records, Ruggs’ prison sentence began on August 6, 2023, and he might be eligible for release as early as August 2026.
A department spokesperson stated that a week or two is required for an offender to be processed in the correctional system.
References
- Former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III Will Spend Minimum 3 Years in Jail After Plea Deal
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10075612-former-raiders-wr-henry-ruggs-iii-will-spend-minimum-3-years-in-jail-after-plea-deal.amp.html - Former Raider Henry Ruggs booked into Las Vegas-area prison
https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/former-raider-henry-ruggs-booked-into-las-vegas-area-prison/amp/ - New booking photo taken of Henry Ruggs III upon Nevada prison incarceration
https://news3lv.com/amp/news/local/new-booking-photo-taken-of-henry-ruggs-iii-upon-nevada-prison-incarceration - Henry Ruggs sentenced to 3-10 years in prison for fatal drunk driving crash
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/henry-ruggs-sentenced-to-3-10-years-in-prison-for-fatal-drunk-driving-crash - Henry Ruggs III prison sentence
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/henry-ruggs-iii-prison-sentence-dui-crash-jail-term-raiders/gtbgmyldmpy0wt0ozjf8fgh2 - Henry Ruggs III sentenced to 3-10 years in fatal DUI case – CNN
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/08/10/us/henry-ruggs-sentenced-fatal-dui/index.html