Ex-NFL player Darren Sharper surrenders, to face additional rape charges

By Staff Writer | Mar 01, 2014 04:43 PM EST

A CNN report said former National Football League star Darren Sharper has turned himself in to Los Angeles authorities after being wanted on alleged rapes of two women in New Orleans.

According to the Orleans Parish district attorney's office on Thursday, Sharper and another man, Erik Nunez, are formally charged with two counts of aggravated rape. Aside from the charges he is facing in New Orleans, Sharper is also facing charges of rape by use of drugs.

An unnamed source told CNN that Sharper made arrangements on surrendering to Los Angeles police on Thursday evening. The authorities had confirmed the arrest but did not provide any other details regarding Sharper's arrest.

The news agency was able to reach attorneys for Sharper and Nunez, but neither had returned its messages immediately regarding the arrest.

Louisiana prosecutors said that the two mean allegedly raped two women in a News Orleans apartment on September 23, 2013. Sharper is also named in the rape charges that happened in California in October and last month, said authorities. Prosecutors also added that the five-time Pro Bowl player turned NFL Network analyst is also under investigation in Nevada and Arizona as well over rape charges.

CNN added that Arizona authorities are set to file charges against Sharper any time soon. Sgt. Mike Pooley said, "We have nothing yet. We anticipate filing charges very shortly and we are still waiting on a couple of results from the crime lab."

In addition to the charges, Sharper was also named in a sexual battery complaint by a Florida woman last month in relation to a 2012 incident, CNN said. A police report said that the woman, who was with two friends at a club in Miami two years ago, met Sharper and went with him and another person at his condo. The woman claimed that the sexual battery had occurred in the condo.

Miami Beach Detective Vivian Hernandez said last week that the police are investigating the case.

In Sharper's hearing last week, one of his lawyers, Leonard Levine, was overheard saying, "It was all consensual contact with women who wanted to be in his company."

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