Henry Ruggs III will stay behind bars after the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners turned down his first bid for release.
The former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver is serving a three-to-10-year sentence for the 2021 drunk-driving crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, Max.
Ruggs, now 27, had only been in the NFL for a year at the time. His career has been on hold ever since the night that ended Tintor’s life.
Henry Ruggs’ attorneys respond to parole denial
As ESPN reported, Ruggs was denied parole on Thursday and now faces another long wait.
“Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was denied parole Thursday, nearly five years after a drunken driving crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog in Las Vegas. Ruggs, 27, will be eligible for parole again on Aug. 24, 2027, and could appear before the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners next May.”
His attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said they were disappointed by the decision but added that they and Ruggs continue to feel the grief suffered by Tintor’s family.
“Mr. Ruggs and our office continue to feel the grief and loss suffered by Ms. Tintor’s family,” Ruggs’ attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said. “Sometimes being high-profile makes it more of a burden. And I would most respectfully ask everybody to treat Henry the way they would anybody that comes before them, except for the fact that I think he’s tried to do as much as humanly possible to send a message that his behavior was unacceptable.”
Tragic details of the Henry Ruggs crash
The crash took place on Nov. 2, 2021, in Las Vegas. Prosecutors said Ruggs was driving a Chevrolet Corvette at speeds up to 156 mph before colliding with Tintor’s Toyota RAV4.
Authorities reported his blood-alcohol level was 0.16 percent, twice Nevada’s legal limit. Ruggs had been at Topgolf before the crash and later pleaded guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
The Raiders released him hours after the crash. He was sentenced in August 2023 and told the parole board in May that he constantly thinks about the pain he caused.
Henry Ruggs’ case adds to the NFL’s troubled history
Other NFL players have taken different paths after fatal drunk-driving cases. Donte Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter in 2009 after killing Mario Reyes, served 24 days in jail, was suspended for a season, and later returned to play for multiple teams.
Leonard Little pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after a 1998 drunk-driving crash that killed Susan Gutweiler. He served a workhouse sentence, was suspended for eight games, and continued a long Rams career.
Josh Brent was convicted of intoxication manslaughter after the 2012 crash that killed Cowboys teammate Jerry Brown. He returned briefly after jail and suspension, but retired soon after.
Ruggs’ situation looks far more difficult. By the time he can seek release again, he will have been away from football for nearly six years.
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