Wizards Player Charged With Felony Gun Possession

The NBA's Gilbert Arenas was hit with a felony charge of carrying an unlicensed gun today stemming from a locker room incident last month. The charge carries a possible sentence of 5 years in prison, but it appears to be part of plea deal, reports WTOP. That means the Washington Wizards player could plead guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge, perhaps as early as tomorrow. The max penalty for that would be a year in jail.

Arenas said he kept guns in the locker room because he wanted to keep them away from his children at home and didn't know it was illegal. He said he brandished the guns at teammate Javaris Crittenton—who allegedly owed him a gambling debt—out of a "misguided effort to play a joke." Arenas has been suspended by the NBA. He holds a $111 million contract with the Wizards, but NBA rules stipulate that a felony conviction can void any deal. (More Gilbert Arenas stories.)