Infamous athletes who did the most time for their crimes

Throughout history, scholars and scoundrels alike have been sent to prison for committing crimes. While some prisons might be in a new world across the sea, the journey there (and the imprisonment) is usually quite unpleasant. Luckily, good things can come from a dark history, like the 19 Crimes Wines.

Thankfully, it’s no longer normal to ship criminals off to Australia, but as All Hallows’ Eve approaches, you can feel a little less scared by looking at some of today’s infamous criminals who received punishments for their crimes.

Here are five:

Robert Rozier

Also known as Robert Ramses, Rozier shortly played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979 after being released on suspicion of drug use. He then played for the CFL and later served six months in prison for petty crime. In 1985, Rozier joined a religious cult focused on Black Supremacy and was told to kill a “white devil” and bring the body part to gain full membership.

He was later charged with murder and admitted to killing seven people, but he only received a 22-year sentence after testifying against the cult leader. Rozier was released in 1996 after just 10 years in prison but was again convicted of a felony under California’s three-strikes law on check fraud, putting him in prison for 25 to life. He is currently serving his sentence in a California state prison.

Oscar Pistorius

As a break from NFL players who committed crimes, there’s the infamous Oscar Pistorius, who, according to Biography.com, was the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. Pistorius was born without a fibula in either of his legs, so they were amputated when he was a baby. He later took the gold at the 2004 Paralympics but appealed to compete in the Olympics. He succeeded and took part in the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Less than a year later, Pistorius admitted to shooting and killing the model Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend.

Although Pistorius was served a year in prison for shooting “in self-defense, fearing an attack” from a presumed intruder. However, his prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court, saying Pistorius had intended to kill, and the panel of judges ruled in favor of a murder sentence, as opposed to manslaughter. Pistorius received six additional years in prison for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp.

Darryl Henley

This cornerback played for the Los Angeles Rams until 1994. His football career was going well until he was found guilty of drug trafficking in 1995 and received 20 years. He later received an additional 21 years to his sentence when he was found guilty of attempted conspiracy to commit murder. Henley had hired contract killers to assassinate a key witness and the judge of his former criminal trial.

Lawrence Phillips

Phillips played for several teams and leagues but couldn’t stay out of trouble off the field. He was arrested several times and eventually went to prison after being convicted of assault and assault with a deadly weapon where he was given a 32-year sentence. He was later charged with the murder of a former cellmate in 2015. He was found dead, presumably by suicide in Jan. 2016 at a California state prison where he was imprisoned.

Orenthal James ‘O.J.’ Simpson

Many would later refer to Simpson’s trail for double-homicide as the most publicized murder trial in American history. Found not guilty in Oct. 1995, Simpson was later ordered to pay the families of his ex-wife and her friend, Ron Goldman $33.5 million in punitive damages. Twelve years later, Simpson was charged in Las Vegas with 12 felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping, and he was sentenced to 33 years without parole for nine years. He is serving out his sentence in Lovelock, Nevada.

If you want to escape to Motherland (England) and learn about some classic criminals, learn about 19 Crimes Royal Pardons.