A former NFL running back is getting out of prison early so he can spend Mila’s final days with her.
Gloucester County Superior Court Judge Renard Scott approved a motion to withdraw the guilty plea on August 7, opening the door for the release. Prosecutors asked for a stay, but Scott denied it. The former player had been serving an 18-month federal sentence tied to COVID-related fraud charges, along with a concurrent state sentence for gun possession.
The legal path widened further after an appeals court ruling on New Jersey’s assault weapons ban gave additional grounds for the plea withdrawal.
Attorney Yaron Helmer said the timing could not be more urgent. “They can’t do anything except make her comfortable now,” said Helmer.
He added that the 8-year-old girl has been given days or weeks to live. “This is not just a matter of legal semantics,” he said.
“It’s about whether his daughter will hold her dad again.”
Mila received her diagnosis earlier this year after being found to have a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer. Chemotherapy did not work, and she is now in palliative care. Doctors have said she has only days or weeks left.
Her condition had already made prison visits increasingly difficult. Family members pushed hard for the chance to bring the former Eagles and Steelers running back home for these final moments.
He played at West Virginia before entering the NFL as a fifth-round pick in 2016. His football career was later overshadowed by legal trouble.
Support has continued to build around the family, and his wife has thanked people for their prayers and help.
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