Jayson Williams Sentenced to Minimum of 18 Months in Prison

Jayson Williams is going to prison.

The former NBA star was sentenced to five years in jail today for the 2002 crime of fatally shooting a hired limousine driver. He will be eligible for parole in 18 months.

Last month, Williams pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the death of Costas Christofi on February 14, 2002. He was convicted on four counts of covering up the shooting in a 2004 trial.

A clearly disturbed, dangerous person, Williams drove drunk - and into oncoming traffic - earlier this year. He averaged 13.6 rebounds per game as a member of the New Jersey Nets in 1997-98.

In court today, State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman went along with a plea agreement that spelled out the five-year prison sentence and the potential for Williams to be released as early as summer 2011.

Choking away tears, Williams spoke out in court and apologized to Andrea Adams, Christofi's sister. He said:

"There's not a day I wake up that I don't feel sorry for what I did to Mr. Christofi and that I put you through this."

He'll have a long time in prison to consider those actions and, hopefully, turn his life around.

Posted in: Celebrity Scandals,Jayson Williams