Darren Sharper to enter new plea in federal rape case

Court records show that Darren Sharper is set to change his plea in a federal rape case in Louisiana next week, reports the Associated Press.

Court records show that Darren Sharper is set to change his plea in a federal rape case in Louisiana next week, reports the Associated Press.

Sharper has pleaded guilty or no contest to charges in three states and will be jailed for at least nine years.

Authorities charged that Sharper drugged his victims with powerful sedatives and then raped them.

A court filing on Thursday said that a change-of-plea hearing in the Louisiana case before a U.S. district judge has been scheduled for May 29.

From the AP:

The federal indictment in Louisiana charged Sharper and another man with distributing the drugs alprazolam, diazepam and zolpidem - more commonly known by the brand names Xanax, Valium and Ambien, respectively - with the intent to commit rape.

The two Louisiana state counts of aggravated rape stemmed from accusations that he sexually assaulted two drug-impaired women at his apartment in September 2013.

Sharper, 39, had stints with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints during his 14 seasons in the NFL.

He earned five Pro Bowl nods and two-time first-team All-Pro selections and retired after the 2010 season.

He then served as an analyst for the NFL Network before being fired last February.

• Saints to remove Sharper Super Bowl image from Superdome