Former NFL star Darren Sharper’s sentencing in federal sexual assault case rescheduled

NEW ORLEANS – The sentencing of former New Orleans Saints player Darren Sharper on federal charges that he drugged and assaulted women in four states has been rescheduled.

U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo issued an order Thursday resetting Sharper’s sentencing for Oct. 1 at the request of probation officer Marilyn Brasset. It was scheduled for Aug. 20 in New Orleans.

Bassett told the judge she needed more time to gather records for a pre-sentence report on Sharper. Basset said she is waiting on reports on rape cases from California, Arizona and Nevada, where Sharper has entered pleas to sexual assaults. She said her motion was not opposed by federal prosecutors or defence attorneys.

Sharper was first arrested in January 2014 in Los Angeles on rape charges. Allegations of drug-related rapes in other states — Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana — followed.

A plea deal was announced in March to resolve the charges in all jurisdictions.

Sharper pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to distribute drugs to commit rape and two counts of distributing drugs to commit rape. He pleaded guilty to rape charges in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court two weeks later. In March, he pleaded guilty to rape charges in Arizona and Nevada, and he entered no contest pleas to rape charges in Los Angeles. To date, he has been sentenced only in Nevada.

NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune (http://bit.ly/1HyL2GP ) reports the federal delay will stall his sentencing dates in the other jurisdictions. Orleans Parish Judge Karen Herman has said she would wait to sentence Sharper until after his federal punishment is ordered, and his sentencing dates in Nevada and California both are well in advance of October.

The former All-Pro safety’s deal with prosecutors in the four states will see Sharper spend at least nine years behind bars on charges in all jurisdictions, with the bulk of that time to be served in a federal prison.

Each of the victims recounted similar stories of being assaulted by Sharper: They spent a night out club-hopping with Sharper, then passed out after he gave them drinks spiked with prescription drugs including Xanax, Ambien and Valium.

Sharper was selected as an All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times during a career that included stints with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and in the Saints’ 2010 victory.