Top 5 Pro Athletes Convicted Of Heinous Crimes
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Some athletes are great at what they do, some are average. Some have long lasting professional careers and some flash-out and fade away. Some go on to do great things after their career and some sink to the lowest of the low.
Here is a list of some of those who hit rock bottom and were convicted of some pretty nasty crimes.
1. Aaron Hernandez (New England Patriots) Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in a deadly late-night slaying of Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old landscaper and amateur weekend football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Lloyd was shot 6 times. Hernandez was also found guilty of illegal gun possession and illegal ammunition possession
2. Mark "Gator" Rogowski (Pro Skater) After a rocky relationship, Rogowski turned stalker on his former girlfriend Jessica Bergsten, who went missing in 1991. Her badly decomposed body was eventually found in a bag out in the Californian desert. Rogowski eventually pled guilty to beating Bergsten with a club and raping her, then stuffing her body in a bag and smothering her with his hand to eventually stop her breathing. Rogowski was sentenced to 31 years in prison.
3. Rae Carruth (Carolina Panthers) Carruth was former first-round draft pick out of Colorado. was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder against his expecting baby-momma Cherica Adams, who was shot four times in a drive-by shooting. Ms. Adam died, the baby survived. Carruth was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.
4. Michael Vick (NFL) Atlanta Falcons quarterback (with the NY Jets now) led and hosted a dog fighting ring at his Virginia home nicknamed "Bad Newz Kennels". Due to the ugly nature of the charges, the case widespread publicity to the issues of dog fighting and animal abuse. Vick and his buddies were charged with their involvement in dog fighting, gambling and brutal executions of dogs. During the investigation it was determined that some dogs were hung, drowned, electrocuted and shot. Vick served 23 months in jail and returned to play in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles.
5. O.J. Simpson (NFL) - In one of the most publicized trials in American history, former NFL standout and Pro football Hall of Famer OJ Simpson (aka The Juice) was found not guilty in the 1994 brutal murder his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her acquaintance Ron Goldman. In 2008 he was convicted in a 'stong-arm' robbery case in which Simpson led a group of men to steal sports memorabilia from a man staying at the Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas…at gunpoint. He was found guilty of all charges and was sentenced to 33-years in prison, with a minimum of 9-years without parole.
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