Former Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III was sentenced to prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to drunk driving charges related to the November 2021 car crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog in Las Vegas.
Ruggs, who was immediately released by the Raiders following news of his involvement, has served under house arrest since his arrest. Lawyers David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld were able to secure a plea deal that will see Ruggs serve considerably less time than is typical in death-related DUI charges in Nevada.
Here is everything you need to know about Ruggs' plea deal, the time he will serve and the details of the fatal car crash.
MORE: What to know about Henry Ruggs III's DUI charges from car crash
Henry Ruggs III prison sentence
Ruggs will serve 3 to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of DUI resulting in death and a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter. The remaining charges against him were dropped as part of his deal.
He initially faced one felony count each of DUI causing substantial bodily harm or death and reckless driving causing substantial bodily harm or death — both Class B felonies. Prosecutors later added one additional count each due to injuries his girlfriend, Rudy Washington, suffered as a result of the crash. He also faced a misdemeanor count of firearm possession while under the influence after investigators found a loaded gun in his car.
Defense attorney and former DUI prosecutor Thomas Moskal, speaking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, said the deal was favorable for the former Raiders receiver.
“Three to 10 (years) is on the low end of what we see in DUI death cases in that courthouse,” Moskal said. He also said a typical sentence for DUI resulting in death has a five-year minimum, as opposed to three.
Ruggs' vehicular manslaughter misdemeanor carried a six-month sentence in the Clark County (Nevada) Detention Center. As part of his deal, attorneys and prosecutors stipulated Ruggs would serve it at the same time as his felony sentence, meaning he will only serve time in prison.
Had Ruggs not entered the plea deal and been convicted of all charges against him, he could have faced a sentence of 52-plus years in prison: a maximum of 40 years for his two DUI charges; a maximum of 12 years for his two reckless driving charges; and six months for the firearm possession charge.
MORE: Where Ruggs' DUI fits in Raiders' timeline of 2021 drama
Henry Ruggs III crash details
Ruggs is accused of crashing his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray into the back of Tintor's Toyota RAV4, killing her and her dog Max on Nov. 2, 2021.
Details of the Ruggs' arrest report, per the Review-Journal, indicate he was speeding up to 156 mph when he struck Tintor's vehicle from behind at roughly 3:39 a.m. The impact of the crash ignited the RAV4's fuel tank, causing her vehicle to burst into flames. A Clarke County coroner's report indicates Tintor and Max died of "thermal injuries due to a motor vehicle collision.”
Prosecutors claim Ruggs had a blood alcohol content level of 0.16, twice the legal limit in the state of Nevada. According to a report from Nevada TV station KLAS, investigators obtained a receipt from Topgolf that shows Ruggs' group — he, his girlfriend and two others — paid $450 the night of his crash, which included 20 drinks for four people.
At his sentencing hearing, Ruggs apologized to Tintor's family, and his attorney David Chesnoff said the 24-year-old is "truly remorseful" for what happened.
