Darren Sharper
| Darren Sharper | |
|---|---|
| Born: | November 3, 1975 Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
|
| Charges: | Federal (E.D. La.): one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (alprazolam/Xanax, diazepam/Valium, zolpidem/Ambien) with intent to commit a crime of violence (rape) and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance with intent to commit rape; plus state rape/sexual-assault charges in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana. |
| Sentence: | Federal: 220 months (18 years, 4 months) plus 3 years supervised release and a $20,000 fine. State: 20 years in California and concurrent state terms, all structured to run concurrently under a four-state global plea deal. |
| Released: | Projected release December 27, 2028 (per Federal Bureau of Prisons) |
| Facility: | |
| Status: | In BOP custody; transferred from federal prison to community confinement (residential reentry) on May 27, 2026; projected release December 27, 2028. |
Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975) is a former NFL safety and convicted serial rapist. Between roughly 2010 and 2014, he drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women across several states. In 2016, he resolved the cases through a coordinated four-state plea deal. He pleaded guilty in federal court in New Orleans to drug-distribution charges tied to the assaults, and he pleaded guilty or no contest to rape-related charges in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana. On August 18, 2016, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced him to 220 months (18 years, 4 months) in federal prison, with state sentences (including 20 years in California) running concurrently. Held in federal Bureau of Prisons custody, he was transferred to community confinement on May 27, 2026, with a projected release date of December 27, 2028.
Early Life and Career
Born Darren Mallory Sharper on November 3, 1975, in Richmond, Virginia, he attended Hermitage High School (Henrico County, Virginia), where he competed in football and track. He played college football at the College of William & Mary, moving from quarterback to safety, and was later selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. His NFL career included stints with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time first-team All-Pro. He won Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints (February 2010), and his playing career ended after the 2010 season.
Criminal Case
In January 2014, Sharper was arrested in Los Angeles after two women reported being drugged and sexually assaulted. The investigation expanded into a multi-state case, with allegations that he spiked women's drinks with prescription drugs, specifically alprazolam/Xanax, diazepam/Valium and zolpidem/Ambien, and then assaulted them while they were incapacitated. On December 12, 2014, a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana returned an indictment charging conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (one count) and distribution of a controlled substance (two counts).[1] Sharper was named in three of six counts. Co-defendants included former St. Bernard Parish sheriff's deputy Brandon Licciardi and Erik Nunez, and the federal conspiracy was alleged to date from at least early 2010 through 2014.[2]
Trial and Sentencing
Sharper negotiated a coordinated global plea deal covering charges in four states plus the federal case.[3] In the Eastern District of Louisiana federal case, he pleaded guilty in 2016 to three counts of conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances with intent to commit rape. On August 18, 2016, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced him to 220 months (18 years, 4 months) in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $20,000 fine.[4] The judge had rejected an earlier, more lenient plea arrangement. In California, on November 29, 2016, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor sentenced Sharper to 20 years after he pleaded no contest to drugging and raping two Los Angeles-area women.[5] He also pleaded guilty or no contest to charges in Arizona and Nevada, and the state and federal sentences were structured to run concurrently.[6]
Incarceration
The facility association provided for this profile, FCI Otisville (medium-security), is not supported by available sources. Every citable account places Sharper in federal Bureau of Prisons custody at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Elkton, near Elkton, Ohio, a men's facility, before his 2026 transfer. No source reviewed places him at FCI Otisville. He served his federal sentence in BOP custody, most recently reported at FCI Elkton (Ohio). On May 27, 2026, the Bureau of Prisons transferred Sharper from federal prison to community confinement, a residential reentry or halfway house arrangement, overseen by the BOP's Baltimore Residential Reentry Management office. His projected release date, per the BOP, is December 27, 2028.[7]
Release and Aftermath
As of mid-2026, Sharper is in community confinement, having been moved out of a federal prison on May 27, 2026, ahead of a projected December 27, 2028 release. A 2025 request for a federal sentence reduction was denied by the court, despite arguments that he had completed educational programs and been a model inmate. The case ended his post-playing career in football media, and his eligibility for Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration was affected by the convictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What did Darren Sharper do?
The former NFL safety drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women across several states between roughly 2010 and 2014, typically by spiking their drinks with prescription sedatives (Xanax, Valium and Ambien). He resolved the cases in 2016 through a four-state plea deal, pleading guilty in federal court to drug-distribution charges tied to the assaults and pleading guilty or no contest to rape-related charges in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana.
Q: How long is Darren Sharper's sentence?
In federal court he received 220 months (18 years and 4 months) plus 3 years of supervised release and a $20,000 fine. He also received a 20-year sentence in California and concurrent terms in other states; under the coordinated plea deal the sentences run concurrently.
Q: Where is or was Darren Sharper incarcerated?
He served his federal sentence in Bureau of Prisons custody, most recently reported at FCI Elkton in Ohio (a men's facility). On May 27, 2026 he was transferred to community confinement overseen by the BOP's Baltimore Residential Reentry Management office. Sources do not support the FCI Otisville association.
Q: When will Darren Sharper be released?
The Federal Bureau of Prisons lists a projected release date of December 27, 2028. He entered community confinement on May 27, 2026 ahead of that date.
Q: Who sentenced Darren Sharper?
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo handled the federal case in the Eastern District of Louisiana; Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor imposed the 20-year California sentence.
See also
References
- ↑ "Former Saints Player Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Charges". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Darren Sharper admits drugging women for rape in federal guilty plea in New Orleans courtroom". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Ex-NFL star Darren Sharper gets 18 years for drugging, raping women". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Darren Sharper Sentenced on Drug Distribution Charges". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Darren Sharper sentenced in Los Angeles to 20 years in prison". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Darren Sharper sentenced to 20 years for raping, drugging women in Los Angeles". '. Retrieved .
- ↑ "Serial rapist and ex-Saints player Darren Sharper transferred to federal re-entry program". '. Retrieved .