Ex-NFL player charged with rape in California
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former NFL safety Darren Sharper has been charged in Los Angeles with drugging and raping two women, prosecutors said Friday.
Sharper appeared in court but a judge postponed his arraignment until Feb. 20 at the request of defense attorneys.
Sharper is facing two counts of rape by use of drugs, four counts of furnishing a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
The complaint alleges the drugs involved were morphine and zolpidem, which is sold under the brand name Ambien.
Sharper was represented by prominent Los Angeles attorneys Blair Berk and Leonard Levine.
"We look forward to the true facts being revealed in this case," Berk said after the brief court appearance. "And we are hopeful Mr. Sharper will be fully exonerated before this case is concluded."
Sharper, 38, played in the NFL from 1997 to 2010, mostly with the Packers.
Prosecutors said he met two women at a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 30, invited them to a party and stopped at his hotel room.
He is accused of giving a shot of alcohol to each of the women before they passed out. One woman told investigators she woke up naked hours later with Sharper sexually assaulting her. The other woman awoke and "interrupted his actions," according to the criminal complaint.
On Jan. 14, Sharper met two other women at the same nightclub and invited them to a party. On the way, he invited both to his room and offered them shots before they passed out, prosecutors said.
When they woke up early the next day, one woman believed she had been sexually assaulted, the complaint said. Both women left his hotel and sought medical treatment.
Sharper was arrested on Jan. 17. He was allowed to remain free on $200,000 bail and ordered to surrender his passport. He has not entered a plea.
Prosecutors are seeking to raise bail to $10 million because the Miami resident faces similar investigations in Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana. Superior Court Judge Roberto Longoria did not immediately take up the bail request.
Sharper's lawyers refused to comment on the other investigations.
If convicted in the California case, Sharper could face more than 30 years in state prison.
Sharper was selected All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and a second with the Saints.
