Henry Ruggs denied parole after deadly Las Vegas crash

The Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners kept Henry Ruggs III in prison on Thursday, denying parole in the case that killed Tina Tintor and her dog, Max, in a crash that still shadows Las Vegas. The decision leaves the former Raiders receiver serving a three- to 10-year sentence and reinforces how seriously Nevada is treating a fatal DUI case tied to celebrity, speed and public trauma.

Ruggs appeared by videoconference from the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City at the May 11 hearing. Commissioners Sandy Schmitt and Lamicia Bailey were present, and the board needed four votes to approve parole. Instead, the panel denied release, citing Ruggs’ removal from a community supervision program and the impact on victims and the community.

The crash that ended Ruggs’ NFL career happened on Nov. 2, 2021, after investigators say he drove his sports car at speeds up to 156 mph before slamming into Tintor’s vehicle. Prosecutors said his blood-alcohol level measured within the required time window was 0.16 percent, a level that made the case especially severe in any ordinary public-safety sense. Ruggs was released by the Las Vegas Raiders the next day, cutting short the career of a former first-round draft pick.

Public attention to the case has never fully faded. A Las Vegas mural now honors Tintor and Max near the site of public remembrance, a reminder that the consequences of the crash extend far beyond one defendant. Investigators also obtained a $450 Topgolf receipt for 20 drinks for three or four people in the hours before the collision, and one report said the first drink on the tab was ordered at 9:28 p.m.

At the hearing, Ruggs’ father, Henry Ruggs Jr., told commissioners his son is remorseful and deeply affected by the tragedy. His attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, later said they were disappointed with the ruling and pointed to his acceptance of responsibility, DUI-prevention outreach and educational programming in custody. A prior report said Ruggs had also been enrolled in a work program after being transferred from High Desert State Prison.

Local reporting said Ruggs was first eligible for parole on Aug. 5, 2026 and has a mandatory parole date of Aug. 24, 2027. The denial means he will remain incarcerated for now, and it signals that in high-profile vehicular-homicide cases, Nevada’s parole board is still weighing victim impact and public safety above celebrity status and claims of rehabilitation.