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Former NHL player Ryan Kesler has been charged with two misdemeanour counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to Michigan court records.

Per the records, the charges were filed on Oct. 23 over events that occurred on Jan. 1. The 41-year-old was arraigned Monday in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A probable cause conference is scheduled for Nov. 4, followed by a preliminary examination on Nov. 13.

The news of the charges was first reported on Monday by Katie Strang and Sean Gentille of The Athletic.

“Ryan emphatically denies the allegations and is completely innocent of the charges,” Kesler’s attorney, Robert Morad, told The Athletic. “The charges are baseless and he is prepared to fight them vigorously in court. As the legal process begins, we ask for respect for his privacy and for the integrity of the judicial system. We are confident, when all the facts and circumstances are presented, that he will be fully exonerated.â€

Sportsnet has also reached out to Morad for comment.

Kesler, from Livonia, Mich., spent 15 seasons in the NHL — 10 with the Vancouver Canucks and five with the Anaheim Ducks — with his last season being 2018-19. He also represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.

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  Baxter HolmesOct 20, 2025, 09:04 PM ET

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  Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.

LOS ANGELES — Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg, whose former company is embroiled in an NBA scandal involving the LA Clippers, formally pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud in federal court in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

Each count carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2026 at 11 a.m. PST at the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.

Monday’s hearing was a formality, as Sanberg had previously agreed to plead guilty to his role in a scheme that defrauded investors out of $248 million. During Monday’s hearing on the 10th floor of the courthouse, Sanberg’s attorney Marc Mukasey said that Sanberg committed the crimes he was charged with because “he loved (Aspiration) and wanted it to do well.” Mukasey later added, “Mr. Sanberg was working to bring about a prosperous and successful company…We agree that he stepped over the line.”

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The Clippers and Aspiration, a green banking company that declared bankruptcy this year, announced in September 2021 to a $300-million, 23-year sponsorship deal with the team, which included signage in Clippers’ new Inglewood, California arena and a jersey patch component. Four months later, Aspiration signed a separate $28-million sponsorship deal with Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

The NBA is investigating whether the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer violated league rules by circumventing the salary cap to compensate Leonard. In September 2021, the same month that the Clippers announced their deal with Aspiration, Ballmer invested $50 million in the California-based company, according to podcaster and journalist Pablo Torre.

Outside the courtroom following Monday’s hearing, Sanberg declined comment to reporters and referred questions to his attorney, who declined to answer a question regarding whether Sanberg conspired with Ballmer to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap rules through Leonard’s sponsorship deal.

“We’re not going to comment on any of that right now,” Mukasey said. “We’re just happy that we got through today’s proceeding and that Joe accepted responsibility for what he’s charged with. Others matters may play out in the future. We’ll see.”

Mukasey did not answer a follow-up question regarding whether Sanberg would cooperate with the NBA’s investigation, which is being led by the law firm Wachtell Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

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Raja Jackson pleaded not guilty to a count of felony battery that caused serious bodily injury and a count of misdemeanor battery after slamming wrestler Stuart Smith (Syko Stu) to the mat during a KnokX event in Los Angeles in August, per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

Jackson, the son of former MMA fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, had to be restrained by several other wrestlers after he continued punching a clearly unconscious Smith. He was arrested and bail was set at $50,000.

Per Okamoto, “In a livestream prior to going on, Jackson said he intended to get his revenge on Smith for a brief altercation between the two earlier that day. Smith had hit Jackson with a beer can in an apparent altercation to promote the event.”

Smith said he suffered a head injury, various injuries to his jaw, lost teeth and had a laceration on his lip.

Rampage Jackson condemned his son’s actions on social media in August:

“I thought it was a part of the show,” he wrote at the time. “It was bad judgement, and a work that went wrong. Raja is a MMA fighter not a pro wrestler and had no business involved in an event like this. I don’t condone my son’s actions AT ALL! He suffered a concussion from sparring only days ago and had no business doing anything remotely close to physical contact.”

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office is seeking a sentence of up to seven years.

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Merseyside Police have said 134 people were injured during the incident on Water Street in May. PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty ImagesA…