Darren Sharper to enter plea deal for rape case in New Orleans

Darren Sharper To Enter Plea Deal For Drugs And Rape In New Orleans

This thing ain’t over by a long shot…

Via NOLA

Ex-Saints star Darren Sharper will return to a New Orleans courtroom next week, court records indicate.

Sharper is set for a re-arraignment hearing in federal court on May 29, a sign that the series of interlocking plea deals that was touted as the “global resolution” to drug and rape charges in four states is back on track.

That multi-state deal appeared to hit a snag last month, when an Orleans Parish judge refused to accept the deal until the former All Pro had entered a guilty plea to separate federal charges related to rapes in New Orleans.

Sharper’s lawyers met briefly with federal prosecutors Thursday (May 21) to discuss the apparently lengthening timeline for a plea deal. The new court date, however, likely means Sharper may enter a guilty plea when he appears in court next Friday.

Prosecutors last week asked to move the date of a trial — if one is needed — from June to August to provide more time to negotiate with Sharper’s legal team.

On Thursday, Sharper’s lawyer, William Gibbens, spent about 10 minutes in U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo’s chambers. Gibbens declined to answer a reporter’s questions afterwards.

If the plea deal goes through, it will, in essence, double Sharper’s Arizona sentence of 9 years.

Indeed, officials said Sharper was expected to plead to reduced charges in Orleans Parish last month, in a deal that would include a 20-year prison term. District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said Sharper would likely spend only 10 years total behind bars, provided he avoids further trouble, and would serve the bulk of that time in a federal prison.

Sharper also would have to cooperate with any investigation of his two co-defendants, waiter Erik Nunez and former St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s deputy Brandon Licciardi, who both have pleaded not guilty to rape and drug charges.

“If Darren sharper goes into court and tells the truth, that’s fine,” said Ralph Capitelli, Licciardi’s lawyer. “If he’s going to sing a tune to keep his sweetheart deal, that’s a problem.”

Darren bout to have PLENTY of time to for karma to come back for his azz…literally!

Image via AP