John Elway Won't Be Charged after Friend's Death Is Ruled an Accident
Sperbeck died in April at 62 after he fell from a golf cart that reportedly was being driven by Elway, 65. On Monday, the Riverside County (California) Sheriff's Office announced that it 'determined that the incident was a tragic accident with no evidence of criminal activity or intent.'
'Consequently, no criminal charges will be filed at this time,' the announcement continued, 'and the case will be documented as an accidental death.'
The incident occurred at a private club in La Quinta as Elway was driving the cart to his nearby residence, according to Denver's KUSA. Sperbeck reportedly fell off the back of the cart and suffered a fatal head injury.
The two had attended a music festival earlier in the day, according to TMZ Sports, and were leaving a post-event party when Sperbeck fell. He died two days later, per authorities.
'I've looked at video [of the incident] 100 times and there's no explanation as to why he fell off,'' Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told KUSA on Friday. 'He just fell off.'
Bianco, who also oversees the county coroner's office, added that there was 'nothing criminal' about the case.
'It's over,' he said. 'We talked to everyone involved, and we found nothing new.'
Sperbeck was Elway's marketing representative in the 1990s, when the quarterback capped a career spent entirely with the Denver Broncos by leading the team to two straight Super Bowl wins. Sperbeck, who also worked with dozens of other NFL players and coaches, subsequently helped Elway manage ventures such as restaurants and a winery.
In an April statement to ESPN, Elway said he was 'absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck.'
'There are no words to truly express the profound sadness I feel with the sudden loss of someone who has meant so much to me,' Elway said. 'My heart and deepest sympathies go out to Jeff's wife, Cori; his children Carly, Sam and Jackson; and everyone who knew and loved him. Jeff will be deeply missed for the loyalty, wisdom, friendship and love he brought into my life and the lives of so many others.'
After starring at Stanford, Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts as 1983's No. 1 pick before forcing a trade to Denver. He won NFL and Super Bowl MVP honors and was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection during 16 seasons with the Broncos. Elway went on to become a Broncos executive and help build the team that won Super Bowl 50. His direct association with the team ended when his contract expired in 2023.
In the wake of the investigation of Sperbeck's death, Elway hired Denver-based attorney Harvey Steinberg, who has represented a number of athletes with ties to Colorado. Steinberg said in an email Monday that 'this has been a very difficult situation for everyone.'
'We always knew John had done nothing wrong,' Steinberg wrote, 'but that does not lessen the sadness associated with this situation.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
18 hours ago
- Japan Times
Indian firm shipped explosives to Russia despite U.S. warnings
An Indian company shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December, according to Indian customs data, despite U.S. threats to impose sanctions on any entity supporting Russia's Ukraine war effort. One of the Russian companies listed as receiving the compound, known as HMX or octogen, is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez, which an official at Ukraine's SBU security service said has ties to Moscow's military. The official said that Ukraine launched a drone attack in April against a Promsintez-owned factory. The other Russian company is a subsidiary of Spanish explosives manufacturer Maxam, which is itself controlled by New York-based private equity firm Rhone Capital. The U.S. government has identified HMX as "critical for Russia's war effort" and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sale of the substance to Moscow. According to the Pentagon's Defense Technical Information Center and related defense research programs, HMX is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles and plastic-bonded explosives for advanced military systems. The HMX sale to Russian firms has not been previously reported. Russian defense manufacturers have been working around the clock for the past several years to sustain President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, which intensified with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022. India, which has recently forged closer ties with the United States in an effort to counterbalance China's growing influence, has not abandoned its longstanding military and economic ties with Moscow. India's trade with Russia — especially its purchases of Russian oil — has remained robust, even as Western nations have tried to cripple Russia's war economy with sanctions. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened earlier in July to hit nations with a 100% tariff if they continued purchasing Russian crude. Belousov and Singh shake hands before a group photo session for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Defense Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, on June 26. | REUTERS The U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to sanction those who sell HMX and similar substances to Russia, according to three sanctions lawyers. HMX is known as a "high explosive," meaning it detonates rapidly and is designed for maximum destruction. There is no indication that the HMX shipments violated Indian government policy. One Indian official with knowledge of the shipments said that the compound has some limited civilian applications, in addition to its better-known military uses. India's foreign ministry said in a statement, "India has been carrying out exports of dual-use items taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation, and based on its robust legal and regulatory framework that includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria on such exports." The U.S. State Department did not comment on the specific shipments identified but said it had repeatedly communicated to India that companies doing military-related business are at risk of sanctions. "India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in full and frank dialogue, including on India's relationship with Russia," a spokesperson said. "We have repeatedly made clear to all our partners, including India, that any foreign company or financial institution that does business with Russia's military industrial base are at risk of U.S. sanctions." The State Department did not respond to a follow-up question regarding the financial stakes held by U.S. and Spanish firms in one of the Russian recipient companies. Russia's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment. "While India has not typically been among the primary jurisdictions used for circumventing sanctions, we are aware that isolated cases can occur," Ukrainian presidential adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk said. "We can confirm that the Russian company Promsintez has appeared on our radar in the past, including in connection with cooperation involving Indian counterparts," added Vlasiuk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top sanctions official. Two HMX shipments sent in December by Indian firm Ideal Detonators Private Limited, both of which were unloaded in St. Petersburg, have been identified in the Indian customs data. An Indian government official with direct knowledge of the shipments confirmed them. One shipment, worth $405,200, was purchased by a Russian company called High Technology Initiation Systems, or HTIS, the data showed. The other shipment, worth more than $1 million was purchased by Promsintez. Both purchasers are based in Samara Oblast, near the border of Kazakhstan in southern Russia, according to the data. HTIS says on its website it produces explosives for surface and underground mining and engineering projects. It describes itself there as a subsidiary of Madrid-based Maxam, which in turn is majority-controlled by Rhone Capital, a New York-headquartered private equity firm set up by former Goldman Sachs and Lazard bankers. A source familiar with Maxam's operations said the company is in the process of divesting its Russian subsidiaries and that HTIS operates independently. Ideal Detonators Private Limited, based in the Indian state of Telangana, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Promsintez, HTIS and Maxam. Rhone Capital declined to comment. While several Indian entities were sanctioned during the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden for supporting Russia's war effort, sanctions were applied sparingly due to geopolitical considerations, according to two U.S. officials who worked on sanctions under Biden. Under Trump, Russia-related sanctions work has slowed to a trickle, and it is not clear if the United States will take further action against Indian companies doing business with Russia's defense industry. Washington has long sought closer relations with India to pull the South Asian country away from China. Jason Prince, a partner at Washington-based law firm Akin, said the U.S. government often prefers to communicate its concerns privately to allies and only take punitive actions as a last resort.
2 days ago
Key Luffy Crime Group Member Gets 20 Yrs in Prison
News from Japan Society Jul 23, 2025 21:06 (JST) Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Wednesday sentenced Tomonobu Kojima, a senior member of a Philippines-based Japanese crime group, to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a series of robbery and fraud cases across Japan. This is the first court ruling for any of the four senior members of the group indicted over the high-profile robberies. The ringleaders went by names including "Luffy." Presiding Judge Masamichi Itatsu said that the robbery scheme was a "new type of serious crime," handing down the severe punishment "from the perspective of deterrence." Kojima, 47, was indicted on charges of recruiting individuals involved in robbery cases from October to December 2022, including those in the city of Inagi, Tokyo, the capital's Nakano Ward and the western city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He also allegedly swindled a total of about 54 million yen in 2019. During his trial, Kojima admitted to the charges. Public prosecutors sought a 23-year sentence. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Power bank fire on Yamanote Line caused by recalled product
The recalled battery pack, cheero Flat 10000mAh, is blamed for a fire on a moving train in Tokyo on July 20, which caused minor injuries to five people. (Captured from the Consumer Affairs Agency's website) A power bank battery charger that caught fire aboard a JR Yamanote Line train over the weekend has been confirmed as part of a previously recalled product line, according to Tokyo police. The Consumer Affairs Agency is urging the public to stop using the portable charging device immediately due to continued fire risks. According to police, the incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. on July 20, between Shinjuku and Shin-Okubo stations. A passenger in her 30s was charging her smartphone when her battery pack began overheating. Although she unplugged the device, it caught fire 30 seconds later. Five people, including the woman, sustained minor injuries. The power bank was identified as the cheero Flat 10000mAh, a model that was recalled in June 2023. The product was imported from China by an Osaka-based company and was sold between December 2019 and August 2021, with approximately 39,300 units shipped. According to the agency, the battery charger has been linked to 16 fire incidents since fiscal 2021 due to overheating after charging. Despite the recall, some units remain in use by the public.
