Former Saints safety Darren Sharper will face federal drug charges in New Orleans and in paperwork filed Monday, Sharper must appear to face arraignment on February 23rd.
He is facing three counts in which he is accused of drugging women with an Ambien-like drug in order to knock them out and sexually assault them. The extradition will put the federal case ahead of the separate state rape charges he faces in New Orleans, Arizona and Los Angeles.
U.S Marshals will transfer Sharper from Los Angeles County Jail, where he has been held without bond since March 2014. A federal indictment that was issued on December 12 shows Sharper is charge alongside former St. Bernard Parish Sherriff Deputy Brandon Licciardi. Both men are charged with three narcotics counts related to drugging women with the intent to sexually assault them. Legal analyst say that this case will be put on a fast track by the government prosecutors and Sharper will be tried much quicker there than he would have in a California state court.
Sharper spent 14 years in the NFL as a safety and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection. Sharper announced his retirement in 2010 and was fired as a TV analyst with the NFL Network when the serial rape charges began surfacing in early 2014. Darren dated both Claudia Jordan and Gabrielle Union.
