A federal judge has rejected Darren Sharper's plea deal -- calling for the ex-NFL star to do between 15-20 years in prison (instead of 9) for raping and drugging several women ... but it may not matter in the end.
Sharper's attorneys had previously hammered out a global plea deal with 4 states -- in which Sharper would plead guilty to multiple counts of rape and serve a grand total of 9 years behind bars.
The federal judge in Louisiana said that such a light sentence violated federal sentencing guidelines and she couldn't sign off.