WATCH: Craig Carton's Message To The Knicks — Cut Raymond Felton Now!
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton was arrested Tuesday on three counts of criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Felton, 29, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday on charges of criminal possession of a weapon in the second, third and fourth degrees. His bail was set as $25,000, along with a temporary order of protection for his estranged wife.
Felton turned himself in at 12:50 a.m., shortly after the Knicks lost to the Dallas Mavericks at home, police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Antonetti said.
WFAN co-host Craig Carton was in rare form on Wednesday, and he had one clear message for the Knicks as a lifelong 'Bockers fan: Cut Felton!
"It's time for somebody to bring semblance back to the New York Knicks," Carton said. "Day 1 -- you cut Ray Felton today. No wiggle room, no discussion, no talking about it. You're not going to the playoffs. You're not winning an NBA Championship. He's got two more years at about $3.5 million per year -- insignificant amount of money in the NBA landscape.
"It's time to bring a franchise to some level of respectability. Step one -- you cut Raymond Felton."
His co-host, Boomer Esiason, preferred to take a wait-and-see approach on the matter.
"I agree with you in a sense, but in these domestic-violence cases I just want to make sure all the facts are out there and making sure that everything is accurate," Esiason said. "I know what she's claiming, and she has every right to claim it if in fact it's true.
"And if it is true they'll find out, they'll get to the bottom of it and Raymond Felton will pay a hell of a price for it. He'll probably end up going to jail for it."
If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 23 years in prison. He is to return to court on June 2.
Police said the felony charges don't stem from Felton using the firearm in a menacing manner, but from possessing an unregistered and unlicensed gun.
In proffered allegations Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Rebold said prosecutors had learned Felton had an FN Herstal model 5.7 by 28mm semiautomatic pistol.
A divorce attorney for Felton's wife brought the loaded Belgian-made pistol to the 20th Police Precinct on the Upper West Side around 7 p.m. Monday, claiming Ariane Raymondo-Felton didn't want the weapon in her home, sources told 1010 WINS and CBS 2.
"The only thing we do know for a fact is Raymond Felton owns a gun," Carton said. "That gun is registered in Carolina, it is not registered here. And here's all I need to know ... Raymond Felton owns a gun with 18 armor-piercing bullets in it. I'm not even saying 'throw him in jail.' That's another separate conversation. I'm looking at it as the fan of the New York Knicks and a basketball fan.
"From that standpoint, it's time for James Dolan and the Knicks' brass to get their act together and to say 'we're done with it.' Enough is enough. Raymond Felton? Goodbye! It is time to tell New York and fans like myself that we recognize it and we're gonna put an end to it. And the first step? ... Cut Raymond Felton today."
Felton and his wife filed for divorce earlier this month, CBS 2′s Kathryn Brown reported. They have been married for 19 months, CBS 2′s Otis Livingston reported.
Felton can still travel with the team and play basketball but has been ordered to stay away from his wife. His attorney said that Felton had no interest in having contact with her.
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