Henry Ruggs III will not be walking out of prison this year. The former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver was denied parole Thursday by the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners, keeping the Henry Ruggs parole case locked in public view nearly five years after the crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, Max. Ruggs, now 27, can appear before the board again three months before his mandatory parole release date of August 24, 2027.
His attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, responded with disappointment while keeping Tintor’s family at the center of the statement. “Mr. Ruggs and our office continue to feel the grief and loss suffered by Ms. Tintor’s family,” they said, according to reports.
The denial lands after Ruggs personally asked commissioners for another chance. During his May parole hearing, he accepted responsibility and said the crash still follows him daily. “Not a minute goes by where I don’t think of the pain I caused her family, her friends and the Las Vegas community,” Ruggs said.
The board also reviewed what Ruggs has done while incarcerated. He has completed educational programs, participated in outreach tied to DUI prevention, and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama while serving his sentence. However, his prison path has not been smooth. Late last year, Nevada corrections officials transferred him from Casa Grande Transitional Housing in Las Vegas to Northern Nevada Correctional Center, a medium-security facility. NDOC did not give a specific reason, but said inmates can be moved to higher custody after infractions depending on severity.
The crash happened on November 2, 2021, after Ruggs left TopGolf in Las Vegas. Prosecutors said he was driving his Chevrolet Corvette at speeds up to 156 mph before hitting Tintor’s Toyota RAV4. His blood-alcohol level was 0.16%, twice Nevada’s legal limit, according to prosecutors.
Ruggs pleaded guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. In August 2023, Judge Jennifer Schwartz sentenced him to three to 10 years in prison under a plea agreement. The Clark County District Attorney’s Office said the plea secured a conviction on the most serious DUI death charge while avoiding the risk that disputed blood evidence could be suppressed.
Before the crash, Ruggs was one of the Raiders’ biggest young investments, selected No. 12 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. The team released him the day after the crash. Now, the next major date in the case sits in 2027, and the board has made one thing clear: remorse may matter, but it was not enough to open the door this time.
