Former NFL Star Darren Sharper To Be Arraigned On Rape Charges
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Former New Orleans Saints football player Darren Sharper Friday was charged with drugging and raping two women.
The alleged incidents took place in the Southland in October 2013 and January of this year, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said.
The 38-year-old, who was arrested on Jan. 17, is charged with two counts of rape by use of drugs, four counts of furnishing a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance, all felonies.
Prosecutors allege Sharper met two women at a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 30, 2013, and invited them to another party.
On the way, the trio stopped at his hotel room, where Sharper allegedly gave each woman a shot.
"Each woman passed out. Jane Doe #1 allegedly woke up naked hours later with Sharper sexually assaulting her," officials said. "The second woman allegedly awoke and 'interrupted his actions,' the motion states."
On Jan. 14, he again met two women at the same WeHo club and a similar situation later occurred at his hotel, according to prosecutors.
Sharper, who is free on $200,000 bail, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday and has been ordered to surrender his passport. The DA plans to ask the judge to raise his bail to $10 million as he is suspected of raping women in Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana, the officials said.
Sharper was working for the Culver City-based NFL Network in recent years and has been suspended with out pay.
If convicted, he faces more than 30 years in prison.
Sharper was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team.