per Yahoo Sports...

Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of a more serious manslaughter charge in his indictment Wednesday in the shooting death of a limo driver at his estate.

Williams also was indicted on other charges including the lesser charge of reckless manslaughter, aggravated assault and witness and evidence tampering in the Feb. 14 death of Costas Christofi.

A friend of the former New Jersey Nets star, John Gordnick, was indicted on charges of hindering apprehension and evidence tampering.

The 34-year-old Williams remains free on $270,000 bail. A date for an arraignment was not immediately scheduled.

He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, which was added to the indictment returned Wednesday. The most serious of the previous charges, second-degree reckless manslaughter, carried a maximum penalty of 10 years.

Williams' attorney said he was pleased the case can now go to trial.

``We remain confident that after a full exploration of the facts the truth will show that the death of Mr. Christofi was a tragic accident but not a criminal event,'' Joseph Hayden said.

Acting Hunterdon County Prosecutor Steven Lember said he believed there was sufficient evidence to prove the more serious charge.

Prosecutors say Williams was recklessly handling his 12-gauge shotgun when it fired and that he, Gordnick and another friend, Kent Culuko, tried to make the shooting look like a suicide.

In a deal with prosecutors last week, Culuko pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and witnesses and agreed to testify against Williams and Gordnick. Culuko said that at Williams' request, he wiped the gun and moved it after the shooting and told the other people in the room to say they were downstairs when it happened.

Reckless manslaughter implies a person was acting irresponsibly. Prosecutors would have to show Williams demonstrated ``extreme indifference to human life'' to prove the more serious charge of aggravated manslaughter.

Christofi, 55, was apparently invited on a tour of Williams' mansion in Alexandria Township after picking up Williams' friends at a Harlem Globetrotters game in Bethlehem, Pa., prosecutors said.

Williams appeared in court on the earlier charges in March. He did not enter a plea and was not required to do so until the indictment.

The 6-foot-10 Williams was once among the NBA's best rebounders, but leg injuries ended his career and he retired from the Nets in 2000. Since the shooting, he has been suspended from his job as an NBA analyst for NBC.

He'll shell out some money and get off. What's new. <img border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" />

yep, they go for the higher charge which is harder to prove and he gets off free...nice decision Mr. DA!!! <img border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" />