More Details On Gilbert Arenas' Felony Charge

The Washington Post has more details on Gilbert Arenas’ felony gun charge.

Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was charged Thursday with felony gun possession, a crime that carries a maximum five years in jail and a fine, authorities said.

The charge was announced Thursday afternoon by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District.

Arenas’s attorney and prosecutors had been negotiating a plea deal during the day and it was not immediately clear whether the filing of charges was a part of the deal. Court officials said they had been told to prepare to have Arenas in Superior Court on Friday.

In other words, the felony charge could have been a part of the plea that was being negotiated this morning, or the charge could be unrelated and could eventually be negotiated down into a misdemeanor. The former would be worse for Arenas than the latter.

It’s worth noting that, according to David Aldridge on January 1, the standard NBA contract allows teams to void deals “if convicted of or plead guilty to a felony crime.” This means the Wizards would likely have clear reason to void Arenas’ contract if (and probably only if) Arenas is convicted or pleads guilty to a felony.