Crittenton Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

Filed under: Wizards, NBA Police Blotter

Javaris Crittenton pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor firearms charge, effectively ending a month-long investigation that ensnared the 22-year-old Washington Wizards guard and his superstar teammate Gilbert Arenas.

D.C. Superior Court Senior Judge Bruce Beaudin sentenced Crittenton to a year of unsupervised probation, a $1,000 fine and community service, which will include time on the NBA's Haiti project.

"Possessing a firearm unlawfully in the District of Columbia can lead to nothing but trouble and can have serious consequences" Acting U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips said in a statement. "We commend Mr. Crittenton for accepting responsibility and hope he fully appreciates the gravity of his actions."

Prosecutors took a much dimmer view of Arenas' role, charging him with felony gun possession. He pleaded guilty Jan. 15 and, under a deal worked out with the U.S. Attorney's Office, he could spend as much as six months in jail. Arenas, who was suspended indefinitely by the league earlier this month, is scheduled to be sentenced March 26.

"The gun was legally purchased, but bringing it into the District, even for self defense, violated the city's strict gun control laws," Crittenton's lawyer Peter White said in an e-mail. "Mr. Crittenton, who was 21 years old at the time of this incident, has never before been arrested or charged with any crime, and with today's misdemeanor plea to possession of an unregistered firearm, accepts responsibility for his conduct. He looks forward to explaining his actions to the NBA and returning to the basketball court as soon as possible."

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/01/25/crittenton-pleads-guilty-to-gun-charge/