A former NFL All-Pro safety who played for both the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers was sentenced after pleading guilty to sexual assault in multiple states on Monday.
Darren Sharper, who played for the Vikings from 2005-08, reached a “global settlement” to charges pending against him in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana that will result in a nine-year prison term.
The Associated Press reports that Sharper was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to sexual assault and attempted sexual assault in Arizona.
The Los Angeles Times reports he will serve up to eight years in prison for pleading guilty to one count of attempted sexual assault in Nevada. Sharper also was expected to receive nine years in prison in California after he pleaded guilty to raping and drugging two women in Los Angeles.
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, a source says Sharper has also agreed to plead guilty to rape charges in Louisiana in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence.
As Pro Football Talk notes, the global deal will allow Sharper to serve those sentences in multiple states concurrently.
“According to the deal, Sharper will serve a 20-year prison sentence for drugging and raping multiple women in Louisiana. It’s part of a global plea deal that will allow the 39-year-old to serve his nine-year sentence from Arizona and eight-year sentence from Nevada concurrently with his 20-year term from the state of Louisiana instead of serving a consecutive 37 years behind bars.”
But that doesn’t mean Sharper will even serve 20 years behind bars.
Sharper will be sentenced 20 years, but will serve 50% minus the year he has been in custody. Ends up being about 9 years in federal prison
— Stephen (@sjceasar) March 23, 2015
Sharper will serve his term in federal prison first, before being moved to state prison, according to Pro Football Talk.
Sharper was drafted by the Packers in the 2nd round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played 14 NFL seasons and qualified for five Pro Bowls for the Packers, Vikings and New Orleans Saints.
