Gilbert Arenas Charged With a Felony

Embattled Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was charged Thursday with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business. The offense is considered a felony in Washington D.C.

The charge is at least a minor surprise, as Arenas was thought to be in the process of negotiating a plea agreement earlier Thursday that would have reduced his offenses to a misdemeanor charge. According to the Associated Press, it seems likely Arenas will be able to reduce his punishment; the charges were filed in D.C. Superior Court in an "information," a document that generally signals a plea deal.

(See court document: PDF)

In addition to the felony charge, Arenas was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of a weapon, an unnamed law enforcement source familiar with the case told The Washington Examiner.

News of Thursday's charges were first reported by The Washington Post.

Arenas has already admitted to bringing four unloaded guns from his home in Virginia into the Verizon Center in Washington D.C., ostensibly because he felt uncomfortable having them in his house following the birth of his child. He claimed ignorance of the District's stringent gun laws prohibiting the transportation of firearms.

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More: Gilbert Arenas | Wizards The presence of Arenas' guns came to light last month when he displayed them to teammate Javaris Crittenton in the locker room following an argument, allegedly resulting in Crittenton drawing a gun of his own, loading it and putting a bullet in the chamber.

Arenas has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA. Crittenton, who's yet to play this season due to injury, has been excused from team functions until the completion of the investigation. Police executed a search warrant of Crittenton's home earlier Thursday, but court records show that nothing was found.