Lawrence Taylor’s arrests span roughly three decades and fall into four groups: crack cocaine purchases in the 1990s, a federal tax evasion case in 1997, a 2010 arrest in New York for paying for sex with a 16-year-old girl, and later arrests in Florida for allegedly failing to update his sex offender registration. The 2010 case is the one with lasting legal consequences. Taylor pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, received probation rather than jail, and was ordered to register as a sex offender, an obligation that still governs where he lives and how he reports his address.
Taylor, born February 4, 1959, played his entire 13-season NFL career with the New York Giants, won two Super Bowls, was named league MVP in 1986, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.1Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lawrence Taylor His legal history begins after retirement.
Crack Cocaine Arrests in the 1990s
Taylor was first arrested on a drug charge in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1996, after trying to buy $100 worth of crack cocaine from an undercover officer.2The Washington Post. Taylor Arrested in Drug Sting He resolved the charges through community service, drug counseling, and random drug testing.3CBS News. Taylor Pleads No Contest
In October 1998, he was arrested again, this time in St. Pete Beach, Florida, for buying $50 worth of crack cocaine from an undercover officer during a celebrity golf tournament.4Los Angeles Times. Taylor Arrested on Crack Cocaine Charges In November 1999, Taylor pleaded no contest. The judge withheld a finding of guilt on the condition that he complete 18 months of probation.3CBS News. Taylor Pleads No Contest
Taylor has publicly acknowledged the substance abuse behind these cases. He first used cocaine as an NFL rookie in 1981, moved to crack by his third season, and was suspended four games in 1988 after failing a league drug test. By 1997 and 1998, he said, he was spending about $1,000 a day on drugs and escorts.5CBS News. LT Over the Edge
Federal Tax Evasion Guilty Plea
In June 1997, Taylor pleaded guilty to filing a false federal income tax return for 1990. He admitted failing to report $48,000 in income from a pub he owned in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Federal investigators found the unreported payments while investigating his former business partner, Alfred Porro Jr., and Taylor cooperated with authorities and testified against Porro.6CBS News. LT Avoids Jail Again In April 2000, a federal judge sentenced him to three months of house arrest, five years of probation, and 500 hours of community service, citing his charity work and sobriety at the time in declining to impose prison.7The New York Times. Taylor Avoids Jail for Tax Evasion
2010 Arrest for Statutory Rape
Taylor was arrested in the early morning of May 6, 2010, at the Holiday Inn in Montebello, New York, in Rockland County. He was charged with third-degree rape and patronizing a prostitute. The alleged victim was a 16-year-old runaway from the Bronx who had been reported missing since March.8ABC News. Lawrence Taylor Arrested
Prosecutors said a 36-year-old parolee, Rasheed Davis, had been forcing the girl into prostitution, beat her, drove her to the hotel, and told her to use a fake name and claim she was 19. Police said Taylor paid her $300, which she then handed to Davis. The girl texted her uncle that she was in trouble; he contacted the NYPD, who alerted Ramapo police.9NFL.com. Hall of Fame LB Taylor Arrested, Charged With Raping 16-Year-Old Taylor was arraigned and released on $75,000 bail.8ABC News. Lawrence Taylor Arrested
The Plea Deal
On January 13, 2011, Taylor pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors: sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute. He admitted paying the girl $300 for sex but said he believed she was 19. The deal allowed him to avoid jail. Prosecutors said it was influenced in part by Taylor’s assistance in human trafficking investigations.10ESPN. Lawrence Taylor Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Charges
On March 22, 2011, State Supreme Court Justice William Kelly sentenced Taylor to six years of probation and ordered him to register as a sex offender. He was fined and permitted to serve probation in Broward County, Florida, where he lived, with a modified 1 a.m. curfew.11The New York Times. Taylor Is Sentenced to Probation12NFL.com. Ex-Giant Taylor Given Six Years Probation, Sex Offender Status
Sex Offender Classification
At an April 2011 hearing, Justice Kelly classified Taylor as a Level 1 sex offender, the lowest risk tier under New York law, based on a risk assessment score of 60. The designation required him to register for 20 years rather than for life, and his name did not appear on New York’s publicly searchable online registry.13ESPN. Lawrence Taylor Deemed Lowest Level Sex Offender
Civil Suit by the Victim
In November 2011, the victim, Cristina Fierro, sued Taylor in federal court in New York. Represented by Gloria Allred, she brought claims under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and state law claims for assault, battery, and gender-motivated violence, seeking compensatory and punitive damages.14CNN. Lawrence Taylor Accuser Files Lawsuit
The case went to trial in October 2012. The court dismissed the federal trafficking claim, ruling the statute did not apply to Taylor as a buyer, and the state claims went to a jury. Fierro, then 19, testified she had tried to resist. Taylor’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, argued the encounter was consensual and called the suit a “money grab.”15CBS News. Lawrence Taylor Civil Trial The jury deliberated 50 minutes and cleared Taylor of all remaining claims. One juror told reporters the panel found the sex consensual and believed Fierro had been “victimized more by her pimp.”16New York Daily News. Jury Clears Lawrence Taylor of Civil Lawsuit Taylor faced no civil liability.17Shared Hope International. Fierro v. Taylor
Florida Registration Arrests in 2021 and 2024
As a registered sex offender in Florida, Taylor is required to report any change of address within 48 hours. Failure to do so is a felony under Florida Statute 943.0435, generally a third-degree felony, with some violations rising to a second-degree felony.18Florida Senate. Florida Statute 943.0435
Taylor was first arrested on that charge in December 2021.19The Athletic. Lawrence Taylor Arrested in Florida On July 17, 2024, he turned himself in to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office on a new felony warrant for the same offense, was booked in Fort Lauderdale, and was released on bail the next day.20NBC News. NFL Legend Lawrence Taylor Arrested
His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, called the 2024 arrest a “significant misunderstanding,” said Taylor “did not knowingly commit any criminal offense,” and alleged the charges stemmed from Taylor’s estranged wife seeking leverage in a contested divorce.19The Athletic. Lawrence Taylor Arrested in Florida Broward County prosecutors dropped the case within weeks. Records showed the matter was “disposed” the week before August 22, 2024. Eiglarsh said the defense had “successfully demonstrated that Lawrence was innocent of the allegations against him.”21The Athletic. Lawrence Taylor Arrest Case Closed
Current Registry Status
Taylor remains listed on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s sexual offender registry with a status of “Released — Subject to Registration” and a listed address in Pembroke Pines, Florida.22Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Lawrence Julius Taylor Offender Flyer