Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs waived his right to a preliminary hearing earlier today and intends to plead guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
The charges stem from a car crash on Nov. 2 of 2021 in the early morning hours that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, Max. Tintor and Max both burned to death, according to a coroner’s ruling in December of 2021, after her Toyota RAV4 immediately caught on fire when Ruggs’s Corvette Stingray rear-ended it.
According to the Las Vegas Police Department, Ruggs’s car reached speeds of 156 mph before sending Tintor’s vehicle flying 571 feet. Ruggs, who is now 24, refused to take a field sobriety test at the scene.
When his blood was drawn two hours later, he had a blood alcohol level of 0.161, which is more than twice the legal limit in Nevada. Later that day, the Raiders released Ruggs.
According to the plea agreement, Ruggs is expected to serve between three and 10 years in a Nevada state prison. The former first-round pick is due in court on May 10 when he’s expected to formally enter his plea.
As a rookie after being chosen No. 12 overall by Las Vegas, Ruggs started 12 of 13 games. He had 26 receptions for 452 yards and two touchdowns.
Ruggs had started seven games in 2021 before the tragedy, hauling in 24 catches for 469 yards and two TDs. He had 65 career rushing yards on 12 attempts for a 5.4 yards-per-carry average.
As a part of the plea deal, two counts of reckless driving and one count of DUI causing substantial harm were dropped by the prosecution.
“This is the first step toward a fair resolution to this matter and we look forward to closure for all the parties involved,” David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, the lawyers representing Ruggs, said in a statement released after today’s proceedings.
The chief deputy DA Eric Bauman declined comment until next week’s hearing.
Whether Ruggs could potentially return to the NFL at some point remains unknown. Assuming he’s a model prisoner, it seems likely that he could be released while still in his 20s.
Ruggs would certainly face an NFL suspension upon any attempt to return to the league. Michael Vick is an example of a player that spent years in prison but had a successful return to the NFL.
There’s always the USFL, XFL or CFL, too.