Key Takeaways
The Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners denied parole for former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs on Thursday
Ruggs has served approximately three years of a three-to-ten-year sentence for the 2021 crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor
Investigation records showed Ruggs reached speeds of 156 mph with a blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit
He is eligible for another parole hearing three months prior to his mandatory release date in August 2027
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The Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners denied Henry Ruggs parole on Thursday, ensuring the former Raiders wide receiver remains incarcerated nearly five years after the crash that claimed the life of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.
Ruggs, now 27, was once a blue-chip prospect, selected 12th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He played two seasons with the Raiders before a November 2021 crash permanently ended both his professional career and his freedom.
The details of the tragedy remain stark. Prosecutors established that Ruggs was operating his Corvette at speeds up to 156 mph on a Las Vegas roadway before colliding with Tintor’s vehicle. His blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.16%, nearly double the Nevada legal limit. Reports indicated he had been at TopGolf shortly before the accident.
In May 2023, Ruggs pleaded guilty to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced in August 2023 to a term of three to 10 years in prison. While his first opportunity for parole arrived on August 5, 2026, that application was denied. Thursday’s ruling maintains his current status of incarceration.
“Mr. Ruggs, and our office, continue to feel the grief and loss suffered by Ms. Tintor’s family,” his attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, stated in a formal release.
His legal team has argued that there is overwhelming evidence of Ruggs’ acceptance of responsibility, citing his participation in community outreach and DUI prevention programs while in custody. In 2025, Ruggs addressed a Hope for Prisoners group meeting in Las Vegas.
“I wish I could turn back the hands of time,” Ruggs stated during that meeting.
Tina Tintor was 23 years old at the time of her death.
Ruggs is scheduled to appear before the parole board again three months before his mandatory parole release date, currently set for August 24, 2027.
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Walk the Plank
The numbers are immutable. 156 mph. 0.16% blood alcohol. A 23-year-old woman and her pet dead on a Las Vegas road.
Henry Ruggs possessed every advantage imaginable when the Raiders drafted him in 2020. He had elite speed, a massive contract, and a trajectory that pointed toward stardom. Then he made a choice that erased his future and extinguished another.
The parole board’s decision on Thursday is not a surprise. Three years into a sentence for a death caused by extreme intoxication and reckless speed is rarely sufficient to convince a board that freedom is warranted. The justice system is designed to ensure that the weight of the consequence matches the gravity of the crime.
Ruggs will seek parole again in 2027. Whether he is granted that freedom will depend on his conduct between now and then. But this denial serves as a necessary reminder: some consequences do not expire simply because the perpetrator is ready to move on.
Tina Tintor does not have that luxury.