Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs will remain behind bars after the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners denied his request for parole, nearly five years after the fatal DUI crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, Max.
The decision means Ruggs, now 27, will not be released this year as originally hoped. Instead, he will become eligible for parole again on August 24, 2027, with the possibility of appearing before the board as early as next May. According to ESPN, the ruling comes just weeks after Ruggs personally addressed commissioners, accepting responsibility for the crash and asking for an opportunity to rebuild his life outside prison.
In a statement released after the decision, attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said Ruggs continues to recognize the pain caused by the tragedy. “Mr. Ruggs and our office continue to feel the grief and loss suffered by Ms. Tintor's family,” the attorneys said, adding that they were disappointed by the board's denial.
The parole decision arrives at a notable moment in Ruggs' incarceration. Late last year, the former NFL player was transferred to Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City after previously spending time at several facilities, including Casa Grande Transitional Housing in Las Vegas.
The Nevada Department of Corrections has declined to discuss the reasons behind specific inmate transfers but has stated that offenders can be moved to higher custody levels depending on the nature and severity of infractions.
During his parole hearing, Ruggs told commissioners that he thinks about the consequences of the crash every day. “Not a minute goes by where I don't think of the pain I caused her family, her friends and the Las Vegas community,” he said.
He also spoke about wanting to support his 6-year-old daughter and his fiancée, Kiara Je'Nai Kilgo-Washington, who was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
The board also reviewed Ruggs' conduct while incarcerated. According to testimony presented during the hearing, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, participated in educational outreach efforts about the dangers of impaired driving, and worked with fellow inmates.
Commissioner Sandy Schmitt noted those activities as mitigating factors but also cited a travel-related compliance issue from October as an aggravating factor.
The case remains one of the most devastating chapters in recent Las Vegas sports history. Ruggs was sentenced in August 2023 to three to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to DUI resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
Prosecutors said he was driving his Corvette at 156 mph with a blood alcohol level twice Nevada’s legal limit when he crashed into Tintor’s vehicle.
