Ex-Giants and Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on Friday after he was found guilty in November on two counts of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, according to multiple reports.
According to ESPN, Wheeler was handed the 81-month prison sentence, along with 36 months of probation, by a King County (Washington) court after he choked his ex, Alleah Taylor, multiple times during a January 2021 incident, prosecutors said.
In November, a jury found Wheeler guilty on counts of first- and second-degree domestic violence assault.
Wheeler, who played for the Giants from 2017-19 and was a member of the Seahawks at the time of the attack, was arrested in January 2021 by Kent, Washington police after Taylor told authorities that the lineman threw her onto a bed and choked her unconscious after she refused to bow down to him, the Seattle Times reported shortly after the arrest.
According to ESPN, Taylor suffered a fractured humerus and dislocated elbow.
She still wears a brace on her arm from her injuries, USA Today reported.
Prosecutors said, according to USA Today, that Wheeler had stopped taking medication for the bipolar disorder he suffers from.
The Seattle Times reported that Taylor told a 911 dispatcher at the time that she thought she was “being killed.”
The Seahawks waived him in the days after the arrest.
On Thursday, Taylor posted on X about the impending sentencing.
“Sending Chad to prison tomorrow!” she wrote. “I appreciate everyone that has supported me and the legal process to make this happen! It’s been a long road but we are finally here and finally receiving justice!”
Prosecutors in the case had originally recommended Wheeler get 108 months in prison, ESPN reported.
According to USA Today, Wheeler was also ordered to never have contact with Taylor again, and he must also pay restitution.
