A number of players in a variety of professional sports have committed crimes resulting in time spent in jail, prison, and sometimes followed by infamous media storms going into their court cases with none more famous than the case of O.J. Simpson. According to Bail Bonds Network, typical bail amounts to be released from jail will depend on various factors, including the nature of the alleged crime committed, the criminal history of the person, and the perceived threat or danger. Bail will not be granted for some criminal charges, such as murder, or for individuals that are a threat to society, or an extreme flight risk. Most athletes are given a higher bail amount to measure up to their higher salary, and then we have the following five athletes who were never released on bail because their crimes were too serious to walk free while their case was ongoing. Check out the most infamous athletes who spent time behind bars for their awful crimes.
5. Rae Carruth
Source: The Root
Sport: NFL
Crime: Murder conspiracy
Sentence: 24 years
People go to extreme lengths to get out of paying their child support. While most of them lie about their true earnings, NFL player Rae Carruth murdered his own pregnant girlfriend. After movie night, the girlfriend of the Panthers receiver was driving home. Suddenly, a car stopped next to her and opened fire. The poor 24-year-old woman managed to cling onto her life long enough to tell the first responders to the shooting that it was “Rae” who had shot her. While she was at the hospital, she wrote several notes to investigators in which she claimed that Carruth insisted that she followed him to her home and that she had overheard him say “We’re leaving now” to someone over the phone. Following this, Carruth was arrested and convicted on charges of hiring a hitman to kill his pregnant girlfriend. The baby survived and was delivered safely while following a Caesarean section. Sadly, however, the loss of oxygen to the baby boy’s brain during the shooting left him with severe mental and physical disabilities.
4. Tom Payne
Source: The Poughkeepsie Journal
Sport: NCAA, NBA
Crime: Rape
Sentence: 40+ years
He was a star at the famed University of Kentucky, and a promising pick during the 1971 NBA Draft for the Atlanta Hawks. However, the career of young Tom Payne ended before it ever truly began when he was accused of two rape cases in the area of Atlanta. When he was released, Payne was again convicted for raping in Kentucky. After parole in 1983, he moved to Los Angeles to try a career in acting, before being arrested for attempted rape in 1986. He was released in 2000 following a sentence reduction. He was transferred back to Kentucky and faced a minimum of 15 more years in prison for a parole violation from his initial 1971 charge. He was denied parole in 2016 and was released on parole in 2018. In total, he spends more than 40 years behind bars.
3. Bertil Fox
Source: Fitness Volt
Sport: Bodybuilding
Crime: Murder
Sentence: Life
Individuals can act without thinking when they suspect their partner might not be faithful. This can escalate further if your daily dose of steroids is 3,000mg. Bertil Fox, a muscle-building prodigy, shot and killed his girlfriend and her mother, while inside a clothing store. He was convicted in the Caribbean isle St. Kitts was even scheduled to be hanged for his double murder charges before a 2002 ruling took place and turned the punishment into a life sentence.
2. Michael Vick
Source: Law & Crime
Sport: NFL
Crime: Sponsoring dog fighting
Sentence: Two years
The quarterback allegedly had dog fights around his property and lied about being involved. He only spent 2 years behind bars, following his 2007 trial. He even got a new contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 after his prison time, proving athletes have more benefits than ordinary people.
1. O.J. Simpson
Photo by Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images
Sport: NFL
Crime: Robbery, kidnapping, domestic violence, coercion, conspiracy
Sentence: Serving 33 years
This is by far the most famous case of a criminal athlete. After initial murder charges in 1995, Simpson spent a decade “looking for the real killer” and golfing. He was involved in various legal troubles since his legendary murder trial. Then came the tax lien in 1999, and road rage incident resulting in an arrest after he scratched the face of a man during a heated argument. Simpson was last serving time for the armed robbery that he performed with a group of men. They broke into a Las Vegas hotel and at gunpoint wanted to steal sports memorabilia. He was granted parole on July 20, 2017, and finally released on October 1.
