Ex-Raiders Player Henry Ruggs Still in Prison Camp During Super Bowl

Posted on: February 13, 2024, 11:58h. 

Last updated on: February 13, 2024, 12:40h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

While Henry Ruggs III’s former Las Vegas Raiders teammates watched Super Bowl LVIII this past Sunday, he continues his sentence at a Nevada prison camp with dorms rather than jail cells.

Henry Ruggs III
Henry Ruggs III, pictured above in a Las Vegas courtroom, is serving a sentence at a Nevada prison camp for a deadly DUI. (Image: La Presse)

Ruggs, 25, is incarcerated at Stewart Conservation Camp, which is described as a minimum-security complex in Carson City, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

Nowadays, he’s been earning $2.50 an hour at a job that has him work off-site for government offices, KLAS reported.

Transfer From Prison

Ruggs was first incarcerated at High Desert State Prison after pleading guilty to two charges stemming from a deadly 2021 collision.

In September, he reportedly was transferred to the minimum-security facility.

Ruggs was sentenced in August to at least three years in prison. He could be granted parole in August 2026.

In November 2021, Ruggs was traveling at speeds of up to 156 mph on Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas when he crashed his Corvette into a Toyota RAV4, driven by Tina Tintor, 23. She and her dog, Max, both perished in the fiery collision.

Ruggs was socializing at Topgolf in Las Vegas hours before the crash, and his blood-alcohol level after the deadly incident was 0.16, authorities revealed — double the legal limit.

Following the crash, Ruggs was charged with DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in bodily harm, two counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, and possession of a firearm while under the influence. He faced up to 50 years in prison if he had been convicted of those charges, prosecutors said.

Before going to trial, Ruggs pleaded guilty to reduced charges of DUI resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter. The firearm charge was one of those charges dropped as a result of the plea, even though a loaded gun was found in his Corvette after the crash.

Courtroom Apology

Before being sentenced last year, Ruggs apologized to Tintor’s family, his former team (the Las Vegas Raiders), and his relatives.

To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021, have caused you, your family, and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max,” Ruggs said in the courtroom. “I let my family, my teammates, and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many.”

After the crash, Ruggs was released by the Raiders.

Ruggs was a first-round NFL Draft pick and had signed a four-year NFL contract reportedly worth more than $16M. He led the Raiders in receiving yards in 2021. The former Alabama standout had 24 receptions, 469 receiving yards, and two touchdowns through seven games.

Ruggs’ sentence has been questioned by former NFL star and celebrity O. J. Simpson, who believed it to be short, compared to his own sentence for armed robbery, which was between nine and 33 years.