National Basketball Association

Miles charged with gun in carry-on bag

Published Oct. 5, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Prosecutors have filed a felony weapons charge against former NBA player Darius Miles for allegedly trying to take a loaded handgun through security at a St. Louis airport two months ago.

St. Louis County prosecutors charged Miles on Friday with the unlawful use of a weapon, which carries a maximum four-year prison term, for allegedly trying to pass through Lambert Airport security with the gun in his carry-on bag on Aug. 3.

Miles, 29, arrived at St. Louis County jail on Monday and posted 10 percent of his $15,000 bond before leaving, a jail official said.

There is no phone number listed for Miles' home in the St. Louis suburb of Swansea, Ill., and he could not immediately be reached Wednesday for comment. His attorney, Scott Rosenblum, did not respond to phone messages Wednesday seeking comment.

The TSA said that passengers can carry firearms, parts and ammunition on airplanes, but only in checked bags. The weapons must be unloaded and packed in a hard-sided container, and declared to the airline during the counter check-in process. The agency also urges passengers to contact their airline for its firearm and ammunition policies.

Miles, who last played in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2008-09 season, has been in trouble before. He was arrested in May 2009 after Fairview Heights, Ill., police said they found a small amount of marijuana after Miles was pulled over for a turn signal violation. He was also ticketed for driving with a suspended license.

The drug charge was dismissed in May 2011 after Miles completed a drug education course, according to online court records. He pleaded guilty in December 2010 to the driving-while-suspended charge and was placed under court supervision for one year and assessed $1,000 in fines and court costs.

Miles was suspended for 10 games during his only season with the Grizzlies for violating the NBA's substance abuse policy.

Miles was the third overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, joining the Los Angeles Clippers after a standout high school career in East St. Louis, Ill. The 6-foot-9 forward played for four teams during his eight seasons in the league, including the Portland Trail Blazers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 446 career games, he averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds.