In July 1975, Code was charged with aggravated rape and burglary in connection with the assault of a 20-year-old woman on June 30. He pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated rape in November 1975 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. While still incarcerated, in 1983, his birth mother died. Code was released on good behavior in January 1984, and afterwards Code got a job at Fitzgerald's Contractors, but after a 1985 incident where he attacked a co-worker over what radio-station they would listen to, Code was fired. On February 3, 1986, he married 27-year-old Vera Code.
