Plaxico Burress, the former Giants receiver, pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, in a deal with Manhattan prosecutors that will send him to prison for two years.
Justice Michael H. Melkonian of State Supreme Court accepted the guilty plea. Under the plea agreement, along with the two-year prison sentence, Mr. Burress, 31, is to be sentenced on Sept. 22 to two years of post-release supervision. With good behavior, he will be eligible for release after slightly more than 20 months.
“This is a very sad day, because I think a very good man, who is a brilliant athlete, is unfortunately going to spend 20 months in prison,” Mr. Burress’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told reporters after the court hearing. “After an agonizing period of discussion, Plaxico decided that he wanted to put this behind him as soon as possible.” Mr. Brafman said he hoped his client could rehabilitate his career with the N.F.L.
If the case were to go to trial and Mr. Burress were convicted of all charges — two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment — he could face 3½ to 15 years in prison. The plea agreement still needs the approval of a State Supreme Court justice.
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