Bills running back Lynch spared jail after guilty plea in gun case
Bills star to perform 80 hours public service
Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch avoided jail time Thursday in his second brush with the legal system in the past year.
Lynch pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge in Los Angeles County Superior Court and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and three years of probation.
Now Lynch, 22, must wait to see what action the National Football League will take as a result of his latest infraction. He could face a suspension of one to four games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Lynch released a statement through his attorney, Gerald Schwartzbach, that read:
“Today I pled guilty to a misdemeanor violation of having a firearm in a vehicle. I am embarrassed by my recent arrest and conviction. I deeply regret that I placed myself in this situation. I have made mistakes in the past. Although I have learned many lessons over recent years, I obviously have not learned enough. I apologize to my family, the Buffalo Bills organization, my teammates, the Buffalo community and Commissioner Goodell. I have already learned from this recent mistake and am sincerely committed to being a more responsible citizen and better representative of the NFL.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with Lynch about off-field behavior last spring after Lynch was involved in a hit-and-run accident in Buffalo. He wound up pleading guilty to a traffic violation.
The Bills released a statement that read: “Today we learned of Marshawn’s guilty plea to the misdemeanor violation. He has accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized for his mistake. The league is now reviewing the matter under the NFL Personal Conduct Policy.”
Lynch was scheduled for arraignment April 2 and could have pleaded no contest to the charge. His swift admission of guilt came in contrast to last year, when he let the legal process drag on for nearly a month before making a plea.
Lynch was not present at the court Thursday. Schwartzbach entered the guilty plea to a count of possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle. Two other misdemeanor counts against Lynch — one for carrying a loaded firearm and one for carrying an unregistered firearm — were dropped.
The Feb. 11 arrest came after police smelled marijuana coming from a parked car that Lynch occupied with two other men. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded pistol and four marijuana cigarettes. They did not book any of the men for any drug offenses.
Illegal possession of a firearm specifically is mentioned in the league’s conduct policy as an offense that is subject to league discipline.
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