A weapons possession charge against Quinnen Williams, a defensive lineman for the Jets, stemming from the discovery of an unloaded gun in his baggage at La Guardia Airport has been dropped, his lawyer said on Monday.
“This case was nothing more than a technical issue with the storing of the firearm, which is why the government gave Mr. Williams nothing more than a ticket,” the lawyer, Alex Spiro, said.
A representative from the Queens district attorney’s office said Williams pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in satisfaction of all charges, paid a fine of $250 and forfeited the firearm.
Williams, 22, was charged in March with a felony count of possession of a weapon after trying to board a flight at the airport.
He was taken into custody at a Delta Air Lines check-in counter after he was found to have a Glock 19 pistol, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police said at the time. The gun, which was found in his checked baggage, was unloaded, officials said.
The authorities said that Williams had a permit for the weapon in Alabama, where he was a standout player for the University of Alabama, but he did not have one for New York. His lawyer said Monday that he had been in the process of getting his permit in March.
In March, Spiro said there was “allegedly a technical issue with the manner in which the lawfully owned firearm was stored.”
Representatives for the Jets could not be immediately reached on Monday.
Williams recorded 15 tackles and two and a half sacks in his rookie season. He signed a four-year, $32.5 million contract with the Jets, according to the salary tracking website Spotrac.
Williams has an older brother, Quincy Williams, who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Source: Football - nytimes.com
