Cavaliers' West faces more weapons charges

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was indicted Tuesday on additional weapons and traffic charges stemming from his Sept. 17 arrest for speeding on a motorcycle and carrying multiple weapons.

The eight-count indictment sheds no new light on why West, 26, was riding a motorcycle on the Capital Beltway in Prince George's County, Md., at 10 p.m. with two loaded handguns and a loaded shotgun. Prosecutors on Wednesday added an 8 1/2-inch Bowie knife to the list of concealed weapons West was carrying.

It's illegal in Maryland to carry concealed weapons and to transport loaded handguns.

West was indicted on two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of transporting a handgun, and one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving. The charges are all misdemeanors. Each weapons count carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

West was initially charged with just two counts of carrying a handgun and with driving in excess of reasonable and prudent speed.

Court records don't list a lawyer for West. His agent, Noah Croom, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

West has been treated in the past for bipolar disorder, and last week his wife filed a domestic violence report against him in Ohio. No charges have been filed.

West, who could still face a league suspension over the charges in Maryland, made his season debut during Saturday night's 90-79 win against Charlotte, scoring 13 points in 24 minutes. He was expected to play in Tuesday night's game against Washington.

Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry, who along with team doctors has been handling West's delicate state on a daily basis, issued a statement following the release of the new charges against West.

"It is our understanding that today's developments are part of the legal process that continues to take place with Delonte and he and his legal counsel will handle that," Ferry said. "We will continue to take this matter very seriously and monitor and respect the legal process as it proceeds, but not speculate or comment about it."

Cavs coach Mike Brown didn't want to speculate on the possibility of West doing jail time.

"I believe in the process, I'm going to let it unfold and go from there," Brown said.

After the arrest, West reported to training camp on time but missed the team's first four practices without an excuse. He returned, but then left the team for a week to deal with personal matters. He missed all eight preseason games and Cleveland's first three regular-season games.

West, who lives in Brandywine, Md., was riding a three-wheel motorcycle when he cut off a police officer on the beltway in Upper Marlboro, authorities said. The officer pulled him over, and the weapons were discovered.

An NBA spokesman said Tuesday that the league was "monitoring the situation" with West, but would not institute any punishment at the moment. NBA Commissioner David Stern has some leeway to impose disciplinary penalties before a player is convicted of a crime, but does not always do so. If West is convicted, he will face league discipline. The Cavaliers declined comment but said they would have an update later Tuesday evening.

Glenn F. Ivey, the county State's Attorney who brought the charges against West, said in a telephone interview that West was still released on his own recognizance until the trial date is set. It is not likely that West, who has yet to hire counsel to address the charges, would have to stand trial during the season if he and his attorney seek a continuance.

"We're trying to treat this like any other case," Ivey said.

Compared with other states, such as New York, Maryland treads relatively lightly with regard to sentences for first-time offenders convicted of crimes while using guns. PG County has tried to institute minimum sentences of one year for first-time gun offenders with little success. West was captured on a police car's "cruise cam" during the incident.

It is not known whether the county would accept a plea bargain on West's behalf. Other similar cases in the past have resulted in plea bargains that usually revolved around home detention for a specific period of time.

TNT and NBA.com analyst David Aldridge contributed to this report.