Plaxico Burress Indicted on Weapons Charges

MANHATTAN (CN) - A state grand jury indicted former New York Giants star Plaxico Burress on weapons charges Monday. Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub last year.

Burress, 31, was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and one count of reckless endangerment in the second degree.

Each weapons count is punishable by 3½ to 15 years in state prison. Reckless endangerment carries a maximum sentence of 1 year.

District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said no one else is likely to face charges in the case. He said others involved in the incident showed "bad judgment," that did not rise to the level of a crime.

Burress, his former teammate, linebacker Antonio Pierce, and other friends arrived at the Latin Quarter nightclub last year at 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 28. Security workers found the gun tucked in the waistband of Burress' jeans, but allowed him to enter the club, prosecutors said.

Shortly after he entered, Burress' .40 caliber Glock slipped down his leg and fired, sending the bullet straight his thigh and narrowly missing a security guard. Burress was not licensed to carry or own a pistol in New York or New Jersey, where he lives, prosecutors said.

Burress turned himself in to police three days after the shooting. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $100,000 bail.

"The case required a more protracted investigation than does a typical weapons possession case, given the number of witnesses and the need to investigate events both before and after the shooting," Morgenthau said in a statement.

No date is scheduled for the arraignment.

Burress was a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000. He signed a six-year, $25 million contract with the Giants in 2005.

He caught the winning touchdown in the final minute of the 2008 Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.

Burress could face disciplinary action under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

The Giants released Burress in April. He has yet to sign with another team.

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