NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Former New Orleans Saint Darren Sharper could face more time in prison than the 9 years agreed upon in a multi-state plea agreement, USA Today reports.
In the article, published Wednesday, attorneys for Sharper and federal prosecutors released the following joint court filing:
“Recent developments have led to a resumption of plea negotiations and, prior to that, neither party expected Mr. Sharper to go to trial.
The change in case posture, however, has now dictated that the defendant and the prosecution must now prepare for a more complex trial. This means that the government will, at this point, have to prepare over a dozen new witnesses from several other states to testify and, concomitantly, Mr. Sharper must prepare to defend against them.”
That multi-state plea agreement is subject to the approval of a federal judge. If the judge declines to accept the agreement, according to court documents, “Any statement made to law enforcement agents” could be admissible at trial.
Sharper signed a “factual basis” statement in which he admitted that he drugged and raped two women in New Orleans in 2013 as part of the plea agreement.
That could mean 20 years in prison for Sharper if he goes to trial in New Orleans and is convicted of rape and drug charges.