Darren Sharper Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison: Latest Details, Comments

Former NFL safety Darren Sharper was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday after being accused of drugging and raping as many as 16 women in Louisiana, California, Arizona and Nevada.

Kevin McGill of the Associated Press shared word of the amended sentence. Sharper was originally sentenced to 18 years and four months on Aug. 18 by Judge Jane Triche Milazzo in New Orleans two months after the judge decided to seek a tougher penalty than the nine-year sentence prosecutors initially suggested, per the Associated Press.

Billy Gibbens, Sharper's defense attorney, said the two sentences are "essentially the same, when credit for time served and other factors are considered."

Per Scooby Axson of Sports Illustrated, Sharper has been in jail since 2014, and he pleaded guilty or no-contest to multiple rape charges.

The 40-year-old former Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints star previously agreed to cooperate in the prosecution of co-defendants Brandon Licciardi and Erik Nunez in exchange for a more lenient sentence, according to Ken Daley of NOLA.com.

When factoring in time served, Sharper will be eligible for release from prison in 2034 should he serve his entire 20-year term.

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