Ex Saints Safety Darren Sharper Refused Bail: Co-Defendant a ‘One-Man RICO Case’

One-time New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper was denied bail Friday after being indicted in rape-related drug charges.

During three hours of testimony before a federal magistrate judge, two FBI agents testified that the man accused of supplying Sharper with his “rape potion”, Brandon Licciardi ,was a runner for a St. Bernard Parish bookie and drug trafficker for clubs on Bourbon Street.

"I know that the state and them have put tremendous pressure in throwing everything but the kitchen sink at my client to keep him in jail. That was clearly the goal, and they accomplished that," Licciardi's attorney Ralph Capitelli said after the hearing.

Sharper is said to have placed bets as high as $5000 through a bookie tied to Licciardi, according to the agents testimony.   When the former NFL player wanted to place higher bets he was referred to a Russian betting syndicate on the West Coast. 

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com