Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs pleaded guilty on Wednesday after driving drunk and causing a 2021 car crash that killed a Las Vegas woman and her dog. Ruggs, 23, will serve at least three years in prison after entering his plea in a Las Vegas courtroom today.
Henry Ruggs Pleads Guilty in Fatal DUI Case
Ruggs officially pleaded guilty to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He will not go to trial and is expected to be sentenced on Aug. 9.
As mentioned, Ruggs will serve a minimum of three years in state prison, but he could be required to spend as many as 10 years behind bars. Under the terms of his deal, he won’t be allowed to appeal his conviction or sentence.
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.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said 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.”
Ruggs will remain under house arrest until his sentencing hearing later this summer. He will be subject to alcohol and location monitoring during the interim.
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.
