Former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard has reached a settlement with his cousin, ex-NFL wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, in connection with a vandalism incident in Florida last June.
Sheppard, who played for the Eagles from 2002-2008, reported to police on June 17 last year that his BMW had stalled out after he left local restaurant in Jacksonville. All four tires had been slashed and marks were found where the car's gas tank had been forcibly opened.
When police reviewed parking lot surveillance video of the incident, they identified Gaffney, 38, and his unnamed longtime girlfriend as suspects.
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Sheppard said after the incident that damages to the vehicle amounted to about $14,000.
Gaffney was later arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief. He was facing up to five years in prison. before he entered a pretrial intervention program. He reportedly reached a settlement with Sheppard because of the high cost of fighting the charges, according to TMZ Sports. Gaffney's attorney maintains his client's innocence.
Under the agreement, Sheppard will receive just $840 in restitution. The charges against Gaffney will be dropped if he doesn't get into trouble in the months ahead.
Gaffney played for a handful of NFL teams over an 11-year career. He was briefly on the Eagles roster in 2006 but was cut before the start of the season.