A former NBA player and actor was sentenced to 90 years in prison on Friday for a series of violent sexual assaults.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the investigation into Rasheed Byrd began in 2019. One victim reported that she was sexually assaulted.
“During the investigation, detectives learned (that) in 2010, Byrd was convicted of sexually assaulting a different victim,” the LAPD statement said. “Investigators also discovered that Byrd had been arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington state in 2005.”
The 7’1″ Beard first charmed his victims, then turned violent.
Detective Inspector Dara Brown, who served as the lead investigator on the case, said: “He started out as a magician, built up his status as an athlete and a fake celebrity, but that quickly devolved into rape and violence.”
Bird played 22 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League in the 2008-09 season. He also appeared in the 2008 comedy film Basketball starring Will Ferrell. Semi Pro, plays a member of the fictional American Basketball Association team, the Flint Tropics. He also appeared in a short documentary, Bring your “A” game.
He was arrested in September 2020 by Los Angeles Police investigators on charges of sexual assault.
The 39-year-old was sentenced to 90 years to life in prison for the violent sexual assaults that occurred in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is grateful to the brave women who came forward to tell their stories,” Detective Brown said. “Although this investigation has been ongoing for years, we are grateful that Byrd is no longer on the streets,” he added.
Detective Brown said efforts have been made to locate all of Byrd’s victims, adding that anyone with further information about his crimes is asked to contact her at 213-486-6840 or via email at rhdtipline@lapd.online.