Baller Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty today to one felony count of carrying a pistol without a license. Arenas appeared in court in Washington, DC to enter his plea. He is required to turn in his passport pending sentencing and is no longer allowed to possess firearms.
According to the U.S. Attorney, Arenas’s problems started during a chartered flight on December 19, when Arenas and a fellow Washington Wizards teammate became “involved in a verbal exchange following a card game.” During the spat, Arenas — who claims it was just a joke — and the teammate made “mutual threats to shoot one another.”
The U.S. Attorney says two days later, Arenas brought four firearms to the Verizon Center. Prosecutors claim that Arenas “placed the firearms on the chair of a teammate with a note stating, reportedly in jest, “PICK 1.’” When the teammate arrived, Arenas stated, “You said you were going to shoot me, so I thought you would like some firepower. Pick One.”
After this, Arenas admitted to team management that he brought the firearms from his home in Virginia and that the teammate also had a gun.
The investigation of the reported possession of a firearm by the teammate is ongoing, according to the U.S. Attorney. Media has widely reported that the other teammate involved was Javaris Crittendon. The court documents do not identify him by name, pending conclusion of the investigation.
Ken Wainstein, a lawyer for Gilbert Arenas, said afterward that Gilbert “accepted full responsibility for his actions, acknowledged that those actions were wrong and against the law, and has apologized to all who have been affected by his conduct.”
A rep for the Wizards released a statement that says, “Gilbert Arenas has been a cornerstone of the Washington Wizards for six years. We are deeply saddened and disappointed in his actions that have led to the events of this afternoon. Gilbert used extremely poor judgment and is ultimately responsible for his own actions.”
Arenas is due back in court on March 26 for sentencing.
