ST. LOUIS (CN) - NFL running back Laurence Maroney was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession, the St. Louis circuit attorney's office said.
Maroney, 26, was part of a group arrested Jan. 17 after police approached cars slowing traffic and allegedly smelled marijuana and found guns in one of the cars.
An investigation showed that possession of the guns broke no laws, the circuit attorney's office said.
Four others with Maroney also face a misdemeanor drug charge.
Maroney's attorney told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Maroney will plead not guilty. He faces up to a year in jail if convicted.
Maroney, a native of St. Louis, was traded to Denver last season from New England, who drafted him 21st overall in the first round of the 2006 draft.
Maroney now is a free agent.
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