Former Raiders WR, first-round pick Ruggs sentenced for deadly DUI crash

LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was sentenced to a minimum of three years and a maximum of 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges for a fiery 2021 crash that killed a woman and her dog.

He appeared for a sentencing hearing Wednesday at the Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas. He spoke briefly at the start of the hearing, accepting responsibility for his actions.

“I sincerely apologize,” Ruggs said. “I have no excuse.”

He apologized to the family of Tina Tintor, his family, and his teammates, among others. He also said the incident is “not a true reflection” of who he is, and he voiced a desire to bring awareness to the dangers of drunk driving and speeding.

Ruggs agreed to plead guilty to charges of DUI resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter. In exchange, additional charges against him were dismissed.

Ruggs was reportedly driving as fast as 156 MPH with a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit when his Chevrolet Corvette struck and killed Tintor in her Toyota RAV4 early on the morning of Nov. 2, 2021.

The Raiders released the former first-round pick from Alabama later that day.

Ruggs’ attorney noted that his client has been on house arrest with electronic monitoring for over a year and a half without a single violation. He categorized Ruggs’ behavior as truly “aberrant” and not representative of the “kind, shy, extremely bright and thoughtful young man” Ruggs is.

He added that the defendant is “truly remorseful” about his actions.

A representative for the victim’s mother also read a prepared statement to the court, reflecting on the “tragic yet preventable way” that her daughter was killed and “taken away at the hands of another’s negligence.”

The statement reflected on Tintor’s kindness, including a proclivity for taking in stray animals. Her mother said that the victim “saw the beauty and life in every soul.”

“Her beauty has been stripped from the world,” her mother observed. She added that she hoped everyone involved could “move forward in caring for each other.”

The presiding judge called the case “one of the more tragic” ones that she has seen. She noted that Ruggs had no previous criminal record and that he had overcome a great deal in his life prior to this “traumatic, tragic case.”

She also noted that the judiciary requires consistency, and with that in mind, she sentenced Ruggs to the term of 36-120 months that the parties had agreed to. He will also serve a concurrent sentence for the lesser misdemeanor charge.