Plaxico Burress Pleads Guilty, Gets Two Years in Prison

One of the dumbest football players alive has pled guilty to gun charges and faces two years in prison. I guess the Philadelphia Eagles won't be signing him any time soon.

Plaxico Burress, the former Giants receiver, entered into a plea agreement on Thursday morning in his weapons-possession case, 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. Along with the two-year prison sentence, Mr. Burress, 31, will be sentenced to two years of post-release supervision.

Mr. Burress was indicted earlier this month on related to an episode in November 2008, when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a Manhattan nightclub. The Giants released him in April without waiting for the outcome of the criminal proceedings.

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.

No word whether he'll have a reduced sentence after an amount of time served, but with this sentence it's clear he'll miss at least two full seasons and his career certainly could be at an end considering he'll have missed nearly three seasons by the time he's released. You have to figure even if he were in shape to play by the time the 2011 seasons rolls around the commissioner would probably tack on a suspension.

He has only himself to blame.

Update: According to this report he'll serve 20 months.

'F- - - You! You're Going To Be In a Lot of Trouble'

Pretty amusing coming from a guy staring at some well-earned jail time.

At least this time Plaxico Burress was only shooting from the lip.

The pistol-packing punk fired a string of profanities at a deputy sheriff two weeks ago after he was stopped for erratic driving in Florida, police said.

"F- - - you! You're going to be in a lot of trouble. I know the sheriff personally," the receiver raged at Broward County Deputy Sheriff Donald Harris during the March 18 traffic stop, police said.

The embattled gridder (right) -- who was released by the Giants on Friday and faces 3½ years in prison on a gun-possession charge after shooting himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub on Nov. 29 -- followed every question and command with a "F- - - you," according to the citation (above).

It appears Burress' driving is as wild as his shooting; the ticket was his fifth driving infraction in Florida in the past month alone.

In the March 18 incident near Fort Lauderdale, Burress, 31, was speeding south on I-95 in his black 2008 Toyota Sequoia at 10:30 a.m. when he crossed several lanes of traffic, cutting off vehicles to get on I-595's westbound ramp, police said.

Harris pulled over the car because Burress was driving like "he was going to kill somebody," according to police.

When Officer Harris approached, he couldn't see inside the tinted windows of Burress' SUV, so he opened a door and found the ex-Giant talking on his cellphone.

"F- - - you! You can't open my f- - -ing door!" Burress barked, police said. That's when Burress issued his boastful threat about knowing Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti.

Lamberti denies even knowing this tool.

Giants Release Plaxico Burress

Somewhat surprising since it appeared the team was willing to take him back assuming he'd be eligible to play at some point in the 2009 season. Well, that's all over now.

Nice way to flush about $40 million down the drain.

In a shocking development to the ongoing Plaxico Burress saga, the Giants announced just a few moments ago that they have released the troubled receiver, just four months after he shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan night club.

“I am an optimist, and I believe most situations can be worked out,” said General Manager Jerry Reese. “We hung in there as long as we could in hopes that there could be a resolution to this situation other than the decision we made today to release Plaxico. It wasn’t to be, so now we have to move on. Like everybody else here, we want nothing but the best for Plaxico, and we are appreciative of the contributions he made to this franchise.”

Probably a safe bet they're going WR in Round 1 in the April 25 draft, unless that trade rumor or Braylon Edwards for Matthias Kiwanuka comes to fruition. A lot of draft boards have them taking Hakeen Nicks of North Carolina.

Go Figure: Plaxico Burress Replacement Shot

On the upside, he apparently didn't shoot himself.

Giants receiver Taye Biddle is recovering from gunshot wounds to his hand and leg after being shot while visiting family in his hometown.

Decatur police said in a statement Thursday that Biddle was shot Sunday night outside a residence and was treated and released from a local hospital. Police said there was no evidence Biddle caused or provoked the shooting.

Police have not made any arrests in the case and have not released a possible motive for the shooting.

"He had surgery on his hand today," Biddle's friend, Bruce Jones, told The Decatur Daily on Thursday. "He told me his leg is OK, and he ought to be fine."

Biddle was promoted from the Giants' practice squad after receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg last November.

Plaxico Burress Locks Up Idiot of the Year Award as Police Seize More Weapons From His Home

Dumbest man alive?

It's one thing to shoot yourself in the leg. It's another to be so completely stupid as to still have an arsenal weapons still in your house.

This guy is just beyond hope.

Police yesterday seized a small cache of weapons and ammo from the Totowa, NJ, home of troubled Giants star Plaxico Burress, possibly setting up the suspended grid star for more legal trouble, law-enforcement sources said.

If the guns are unlicensed, the embattled wide receiver could face additional charges in New Jersey on top of the felony gun-possession charges he was slapped with after shooting himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub last month.

Burress was not at home when the search warrant was executed by Totowa police, the NYPD and officials from the Manhattan DA's Office yesterday morning - although his wife was home, sources said.

Seized in the raid were one 9 mm handgun, a rifle and ammo for three additional guns - a .380, a .45 and a .40, which is the caliber of gun with which he accidentally shot himself in the leg.

Cops also took black, bloodied jeans from his bedroom, as well as sneakers, which will be tested by Manhattan authorities as potential evidence in the nightclub shooting case, sources said.

Also found in the execution of the search warrant - but not seized, since it was unconnected to any criminal allegations - was a suitcase full of money, sources said.

Hmm. I wonder where he was headed with that suitcase full of cash?

This comes on the heels of news he was involved in an auto accident in Florida last summer while uninsured.

What a dope.

Alise Smith, 27, of Miami, says the Giants wide receiver rear-ended her on Florida's Turnpike in Tamarac in May. Smith's civil lawsuit filed in Broward Circuit Court seeks more than $15,000 for medical bills, lost wages and damage to her car.

"Ms. Smith, who wearing a seatbelt, was rear-ended by Mr. Burress, who failed to maintain a safe braking distance, maintain a proper lookout or to exercise reasonable care," Gregory Dell, Smith's attorney, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "All of this was the cause of this accident and Ms. Smith's resulting injuries."

Dell also provided a document that shows Burress had not paid his premiums to Allstate and that the insurance on his Mercedes Benz had expired three days before the accident.

Show Your Idiocy for Only $230

I'd never fork over that much for a personalized jersey, but apparently some wiseass Giants fan are having some fun at the expense of Plaxico Burress.

You, too, can be No. 17 - Harris Smith!

Giants bad boy Plaxico Burress checked into New York-Cornell Hospital under that generic fake name, The Post first revealed this week, and fans who want to score an "H. SMITH" No. 17 jersey don't have to go anywhere further than their own computer.

Fans can go to www.Giantsproshop.com, click on "personalized jerseys" and build their own Burress alter-ego uniform in home blue, road white or alternate red.

An authentic fake "H. SMITH" jersey goes for $230.

Giants Banish Burress

The New York Giants wasted little time in placing Plaxico Burress on the non-football injury list today, ending his season and likely his career in New York.

Plaxico Burress returned to Giants Stadium on Tuesday, only to be told that he would be suspended four games and placed on the non-football injury list.

While police were still trying to sort out the events surrounding the Manhattan nightclub shooting that prompted the suspension, Burress' season with the Super Bowl champions, and possibly his career with the team, likely came to an end.

"I'm happy," Burress said, "this allows me more time to drive my son to school," apparently unaware nursery schools are Glock-free school zones.

OK, I added that last part. But it's not a stretch with this dunce, now proud owner of the $27 million shot heard around the world.

Perhaps the only punishment worse than losing all that money and facing prison time might be acquittal followed by a trade to Detroit.

Thanks to Ace for the link.

Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is Michael Bloomberg

I find it more than a bit disingenuous for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to be whining about someone making "a sham, a mockery of the law" after he himself just made a sham and a mockery of the law by extending term limits against the express will of the people. Seriously, this is what dictators in banana republics do.

Is a comparison between Michael Bloomberg and Hugo Chavez fair? Well, not really. Bloomberg is slightly more annoying.

Dopey Burress Told Hospital He Was Shot at Applebees; Still Laughing and Joking About Incident

The farcical saga of the idiotic Plaxico Burress continues to unravel and is now reaching comical levels. Unfortunately for many others, they may all be dragged down with him.

Trouble-prone Giants receiver Plaxico Burress desperately tried to sidestep the law after shooting himself in the leg with an illegal handgun he carried into a Midtown nightclub - getting workers at the hot spot and at a top city hospital to lie for him, sources told The Post yesterday.

Details of the hectic hours Burress spent trying to conceal his bone-headed blunder emerged as he said he would surrender to the NYPD today. Detectives last night seized the .40-caliber gun from his New Jersey home.

His web of deceit included:

* Taking his gun from the Midtown club Latin Quarter, where workers never called authorities and even cleaned up afterward.

* Spending about 90 minutes making frantic calls to figure out where his wound could be discreetly treated.

* Getting special treatment at New York-Cornell Hospital, where he gave his name as Harris Smith, saying he'd been shot at an Applebee's restaurant. Nonetheless, hospital workers recognized him as Plaxico Burress, sources said, and the gunshot was not reported, as required by law.

Police found the gun last night at the Super Bowl hero's Totowa home, sources said, after they were told it was in his kitchen. He was not home at the time.

He plans to turn himself in at the 17th Precinct station house, said his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman.

Burress, 31, will be slapped with a felony gun charge and plead not guilty, his lawyer said.

Cops believe that Burress - who took the bullet cleanly through his right thigh at the club late Friday night - was with teammate Antonio Pierce and an unidentified woman as they worked the phones to choose a hospital, sources said.

Detectives were checking whether a Giants team trainer was among those called for advice, the sources said.

The trio was logged in at 2:45 a.m. by a New York-Cornell security guard, according to records reviewed by the police. The facility is connected with The Hospital for Special Surgery - a popular choice among elite athletes, where Burress was once treated himself. He was out about 10 hours later.

Hospital workers recognized Burress and agreed not to report the incident to police, the sources said.

It turns out a third Giant, Ahmad Bradshaw, was also with Burress and Pierce. It's unclear whether Bradshaw, who served time last summer for a Virginia burglary several years ago, will face any charges. Pierce may likely some misdemeanor local charges, but if he had a hand in transporting the gun over to New Jersey, could face some federal charge of transporting a weapon across state lines.

So all because of the incredible stupidity of Burress, we've got two teammates facing possible legal problems, along with an untold number of club and hospital employees.

Good career move, Plaxico.

Meanwhile, short of being shot in the head, he apparently will never get it.

Burress' reaction to all this?

He laughed.

"He called me laughing and grinning," fellow New York Giant Brandon Jacobs told reporters. "He is doing fine. He is feeling good. I called him and made a few jokes about the situation and he laughed - which is what I wanted to hear.

"He shouldn't be down because it is a mistake that happened," said the running back.

It's a mistake that could cost Burress dearly, despite his lawyer's vow that he'll plead not guilty to charges of criminal possession of a weapon. For the first time, his bosses at the Meadowlands hinted that his career as a Giant could be in jeopardy.

Memo to anyone on the Giants: Stay clear of this dud if you know what's good for you.

Giants Roll, Idiot Burress Facing Arraignment

The New York Giants rolled to another victory Sunday despite the absence of wideout Plaxico Burress.

The Giants spent most of a week cheerfully preparing to play the Redskins at FedEx Field on Sunday, carrying a six-game winning streak and a swelling sense of invincibility. But their smooth glide to a 10-1 record was gone in a painful flash on Friday night, when receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub.

Suddenly, Sunday’s result against the Redskins, win or lose, would be a proxy on the Giants’ resilience and focus. Win, and the Giants further prove themselves a single-minded bunch, able to steer clear of even the most unseemly of distractions. Lose for the first time since Oct. 13, and frenzied debate would ensue over whether one bullet could cripple their equilibrium.

On a drizzly and dreary afternoon at FedEx Field, the Giants powered past the rival Redskins, 23-7, their latest show of defiance against a difficult schedule and the occasional off-field controversy.

Well, it appears nothing may stop them now. Eli Manning sent a not-so-subtle message to Burress and the rest of the league by throwing for 305 yards on a rainy day, spreading the ball around and utilizing Domenik Hixon, the (permanent?) replacement for Burress. The Giants are now the only team since the 1970 Vikings to defeat winning teams six straight weeks. They still face four teams with winning records, starting with Philadelphia at home next Sunday, when they could possibly clinch the NFC East.

Meanwhile, Quickdraw is scheduled to be arraigned on weapons charges Monday.

Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, who accidentally shot himself in the thigh Friday night at a Manhattan nightclub, will surrender to the New York City police on Monday morning and will be charged with criminal possession of a handgun, according to his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman.

Burress will plead not guilty, said Brafman, whom Burress hired Sunday and who has represented high-profile defendants like the rapper Sean Combs.

“I ask his fans and the New York Giants to withhold judgment in this case until the facts come out,” Brafman said in a telephone interview, adding that he did not yet know what the possible punishment for Burress could be.

Once can hope he's made an example of. Maybe some jailtime and a lengthy suspension will finally wake this moron up. He also could face charges in New Jersey since his has no concealed carry permit there, either.

Note to Self: Put Down the Wine Glass Before Unloading Bullets

Geez, Plaxico Burress looks dumber by the minute.

Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught a bullet in his leg while fumbling with a gun in the vestibule of a Manhattan nightclub early yesterday, sources said.

The trouble-plagued NFL star blasted himself through his right thigh just after midnight near the VIP entrance to the LQ nightclub on Lexington Avenue and East 48th Street and had to be hospitalized, sources said.

Burress, 31, was allegedly inside the hot spot with teammate Antonio Pierce when they were confronted by security guards looking for weapons.

The Super Bowl hero, who nabbed the game-winning catch in the Giants' monumental win over the Patriots in February, admitted to the guards that he was packing heat, sources said.

After moving to a secluded area with a guard, he allegedly took the gun out and started to unload the bullets while drinking a glass of wine. But the sure-handed wideout began to bobble the firearm, accidentally firing a shot that ripped through his leg but missed the bone.

A source said a guard came over in the aftermath, emptied the gun's chamber and then gave it back to Burress.

Security personnel tried to call an ambulance, but the grid great stopped them.

Sources said Pierce drove Burress to Cornell Medical Center at 2 a.m. and then left immediately. It's not clear where Burress was in the time between the shooting and his arrival at the hospital.

Such stupidity I've come to expect from Burress. But I'm disappointed to find out Antonio Pierce was with him. I thought he knew better. Now he faces legal issues, although word is he'll still be in the starting lineup in Washington today. The police would like to chat with him.

Plaxico Burress isn’t the only one in trouble after Friday night’s shooting. Antonio Pierce is in hot water, too.

Pierce was not only with Burress when the receiver shot himself in the right thigh at a Manhattan night club Friday night, he apparently tried to hide the gun after the incident, the Daily News has learned. In fact, Pierce’s attorney was frantically trying to save him from criminal charges late last night, the News is reporting.

Burress, meanwhile, is expected to be arrested on felony weapons charges sometime in the next few days, according to sources. He could face up to five years in prison if he’s eventually convicted. Carrying an illegal, concealed weapon in New York also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 ½ years.
...
• Burress was drinking at the nightclub, and the gun apparently slipped down his pants leg and went off accidentally. He apparently does not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon in New York. He had a license in Florida, but that expired in May and wouldn’t have been recognized here anyway.

• Burress told Pierce (and others at the club) not to call 911 after he was shot, and he didn’t go to the hospital for two hours, until 2 a.m. when his wife, Tiffany, and a friend finally took him to New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

• Pierce agreed to cooperate with police if they agreed not to immediately charge him with a crime. Cops are still planning to get a warrant to search Pierce’s car.

I'll assume Burress doesn't have a license in New Jersey, either.

Plaxico Burress Shoots Himself in the Leg' Update: Shocker! Shooting Took Place at a Nightclub

Clueless

What more can go wrong with this idiot?

Plaxico Burress' controversial year has just taken a turn for the worse.

The New York Giants wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the leg on Friday night, FOXSports.com has learned, not long after being ruled out of Sunday's game against the Redskins with a hamstring injury.

He spent the night in the hospital and the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The team is still trying to gather further information on the incident.

This has been a troubled year for Burress, who opened the season with a lengthy contract dispute. He was also suspended one game in October for violating team rules, benched during another game and hit with a series of fines.

The Giants are atop the NFC standings with a 10-1 record and are vying for their seventh straight win Sunday when they face Washington.

I suspect Burress may have played his last game in a Giants uniform. Knowing Burress and his dubious recent history, I suspect there's more to this story and the team may have hit the breaking point. The Giants may be headed for the Super Bowl again and don't need the endless soap opera with this guy.

Update: He was reportedly shot at a nightclub. There's a shocker.

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was accidentally shot in the leg at a nightclub, it was reported Saturday.

ESPN.com and Fox Sports.com said the wound was not life threatening. It was not clear at what club the shooting took place. The Fox Web site said Burress spent the night in the hospital.

"I don't have anything for you at this stage," team spokesman Pat Hanlon told The Associated Press from Giants Stadium before the Super Bowl champions left for a flight to Washington for a Sunday game against the Redskins.

Yup, injured player with a really bad track record of late out at a nightclub with a gun. What could possibly go wrong?

Update: Giants react.

“Obviously, our primary concern is for Plaxico’s health,” the Giants said in a statement released by Pat Hanlon, the team’s vice president for communications. “We have been in touch with N.F.L. security on this matter. At this point, we are attempting to gather all the facts surrounding this incident. This incident could become a matter for law enforcement officials, and because of that, we have no comment on any of the details.”