Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs was issued a prison sentence on Wednesday after driving drunk and causing a 2021 car crash that killed a Las Vegas woman and her dog, according to 8NewsNow in Las Vegas. Ruggs will serve between three and 10 years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this summer.
Henry Ruggs Receives Prison Sentence for Fatal DUI Case
In May, Ruggs pleaded guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He is required to spend at least three years in state prison as a result of his plea deal.
Ruggs was driving his car at speeds up to 156 miles per hour on Nov. 2, 2021. He was moving at 120 miles per hour when he rear-ended 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, who burned to death in her car.
Although Ruggs refused a field sobriety test at that scene, blood tests later revealed his blood alcohol content as 0.161%, more than double Nevada’s legal limit. He was charged with driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless driving.
Ruggs has remained under house arrest since entering his plea. He was subject to alcohol and location monitoring during that time. Ruggs will not receive credit for time served on house arrest.
“I sincerely apologize for my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021,” Ruggs said on Wednesday. “My actions are not a true reflection of me.”
While Clark County could have taken Ruggs to trial, District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in May there was concern that because Ruggs did not take a field sobriety test, his lawyers might have argued that his BAC was inappropriately obtained at a hospital.
“There was virtually no other evidence to prove Ruggs was under the influence,” Wolfson said in a statement.
“I recognize this outcome is not sufficient to punish Ruggs for the loss the Tintor family has suffered. But there was a legitimate concern that a court would have suppressed the result of the blood draw. We would have lost the felony DUI charge. We couldn’t take that chance.”
Tintor’s family also released a statement following Ruggs’ plea deal.
“Today, like every day, we remember Tina and Max, and how they were taken from us that fateful night,” the Tintor family said. “No sentence will ever bring Tina and Max back, but we hope that everyone learns from this preventable incident so that no other families suffer like we do.
“We appreciate the efforts of the district attorney’s office to overcome the issues caused by the initial investigation, and we look forward to putting this behind us so that we can focus on honoring the memories of Tina and Max.”
Eagles and receiver DeVonta Smith — Ruggs’ close friend and teammate at Alabama — was in attendance for Ruggs’ sentencing hearing, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Smith and Ruggs spent three seasons together on the Crimson Tide roster.
The Raiders made Ruggs the 12th overall pick of the 2020 draft after he won a college championship at Alabama. He played in 20 games for Las Vegas, totaling 50 receptions and 931 yards.
