ESPN reports that receiver Plaxico Burress has been indicted on felony weapons charges arising from the November 2008 incident in a Manhattan nightclub, during which Burress accidentally shot himself with a gun he was toting in the waistband of his sweatpants.
According to Sal Paolantonio of ESPN, Burress has been indicted on two counts of felony criminal possession of a loaded firearm, both of which carry mandatory minimum terms of 3.5 years. He also has been indicted on one count of reckless endangerment, which entails a mandatory minimum sentence of one year.
The move means that Burress will, absent a plea bargain, face a trial.
No date has been set; his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, previously has indicated that his calendar prevents him from being available until March 2010. (In fact, Brafman has said that a trial before then would be “inconceivable.”)
The next question is whether Commissioner Roger Goodell will suspend Burress indefinitely until the case is resolved and any jail term is served.
Two years ago, Goodell did just that with quarterback Mike Vick.