Former NFL player Darren Sharper charged with rape

LOS ANGELES

The first reported attack occurred last October and the second just last month. Sharper was scheduled to be arraigned Friday but it was postponed until the following Thursday.

The former athlete is charged with two counts of rape by use of drugs, four counts of furnishing a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance. All are felony charges.

The complaint alleges the controlled substances were morphine and zolpidem, which is sold under the brand name Ambien.

Prosecutors want Sharper's bail increased to $10 million because Sharper, who lives in Miami, Fla., is suspected of raping women in Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana.

Prosecutors say Sharper met two women at a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 30 and invited them to another party. On the way, Sharper reportedly told the women he had to stop by his Los Angeles hotel room to pick up something.

Sharper invited the two women up to his room, where he allegedly gave each a shot. Both women passed out. One woman told investigators that she woke up naked hours later with Sharper sexually assaulting her. The second woman allegedly woke up and "interrupted his actions," according to the criminal complaint.

The two women then left the hotel.

On Jan. 14, prosecutors say Sharper met another two women at the same West Hollywood nightclub and invited them to a party. Prosecutors say a similar chain of events occurred, with the women passing out after they were given a shot by Sharper in his hotel room.

When they woke up the next day, one woman believed she had been sexually assaulted. Both women left the hotel and sought medical treatment.

Sharper was arrested Jan. 17 by Los Angeles police and was released on $200,000 bail. If convicted in the California case, he faces more than 30 years in state prison.

Sharper, 38, played in the NFL from 1997 to 2010, mostly with the Packers. Sharper was selected All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and a second with the Saints.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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