Former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III Will Spend Minimum 3 Years in Jail After Plea Deal

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III will serve at least three years in prison as part of a plea deal stemming from the 2021 DUI crash that killed a woman and her dog.

Per Caroline Bleakley of 8 News Now, Ruggs entered his guilty plea in a Las Vegas court on Wednesday.

The plea deal included a DUI resulting in death charge that carries a minimum three-year sentence and is not subject to probation. He will be sentenced at a date to be determined.

"This outcome accomplished our three most important goals: (1) convict Henry Ruggs of the strictest charge allowed by Nevada law for drunk driving; (2) send Henry Ruggs to prison; and (3) eliminate his ability to appeal his conviction and prison sentence," Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement (h/t Bleakley).

Ruggs was driving 156 miles per hour and had a blood-alcohol content more than twice Nevada's legal limit before he rear-ended an SUV being driven by 23-year-old Tina O. Tintor on Nov. 2, 2021, according to a prosecutors report.

The speed of the vehicle Ruggs was driving when the crash occurred caused Tintor's vehicle to catch fire with her and her dog trapped inside. Her official cause of death was listed as "thermal injuries due to a motor vehicle collision," per the Clark County Coroner.

Ruggs was formally charged with felony counts of DUI resulting in death, reckless driving resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and reckless driving resulting in substantial bodily harm; and misdemeanor possession of a gun under the influence of alcohol.

Bleakley noted Ruggs' plea deal "reduced the initial and more serious charges" he was facing.

The Raiders released Ruggs on Nov. 2, 2021. He was the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NFL draft after playing three seasons at the University of Alabama.