Darren Sharper Now Facing 15-20 Years in Rape Case

Image via Zimbio

Under a revised plea agreement, former New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper is now facing a much stiffer prison term after pleading guilty (or no-contest) to a number of charges stemming from a series sexual assaults. At least nine women in four states (California, Arizona, Nevada, Louisiana) were victimized by Sharper and his alleged accomplices.

Last month a judge dismissed a global plea agreement, which would’ve settled Sharper’s charges across all four states and put him behind bars for just nine years. That despite already having been sentenced to nine years in Arizona alone. Federal sentencing guidelines call for a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 20 for the crimes committed.

Though it’s worth noting that they’re called guidelines for a reason—judges aren’t bound by them and can at their own discretion issue a sentence that falls outside the recommendations. A fact that U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo emphasized at his most recent hearing.