Former NBA Prospect Gets 90 Years to Life in Prison
A former NBA prospect and actor has been sentenced to 90 years to life after being found guilty of a string of sexual assaults.
Rashid Byrd, 39, was sentenced on Friday in connection with a number of sexual assaults between 2015 and 2020, a Los Angeles Police Department release said.
Byrd was investigated beginning in 2019 after a victim claimed she had been sexually assaulted, according to KTLA-TV.
“During their investigation, detectives learned in 2010, Byrd was convicted of sexual assault involving a different victim,” the LAPD said.
LAPD NEWS: Former NBA Player Sentenced to 90 Years to Life in State Prison pic.twitter.com/qnF7mZ0xxQ
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) March 2, 2024
“Detectives also discovered that Byrd had been arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington State in 2005,” the release said.
The 7-foot-1 Byrd’s victims said he was “initially charming” but that soon faded, the release said.
“He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence,” said LAPD Detective Dara Brown, according to KTLA.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is grateful for the brave women who came forward to tell their stories,” Brown said.
“While this investigation has gone on for years, we are thankful that Byrd is no longer on the streets,” Brown said.
Actor And NBA Player Rashid Byrd Gets 90 Years To Life https://t.co/mVz7ZxzvN7
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 2, 2024
Byrd played 22 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League during the 2008-09 season, according to CBS.
According to the U.K. Daily Mail, Byrd also played for the Houston Rockets’ Rio Grand Valley Vipers in the development league.
Byrd signed a contract with the Sacramento Kings but never played in an NBA game.
Byrd did play professional basketball in Europe for several years.
Rashid Byrd receives life sentence 😮 https://t.co/1xhkWUkqtR
— Elaine 🇺🇸 (@ElaineSoCalGov) March 2, 2024
Byrd appeared in a 2008 movie called “Semi Pro,” a Will Ferrell comedy about a fictional American Basketball Association team. KTLA reported that Byrd also was featured in the 2009 documentary “Bring Your ‘A’ Game.”
Byrd was arrested in September 2020 and has been behind bars since then on $4.15 million bail.
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