Michigan lineman Mazi Smith takes plea deal in gun case

By The Associated Press

FILE - Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith talks to reporters during an NCAA college football news conference at the Big Ten Conference media days, at Lucas Oil Stadium, Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in Indianapolis. Michigan standout defensive lineman Mazi Smith has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon, records show. The felony charge was filed Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in an Ann Arbor court, nearly two months after the alleged incident, according to online records. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Darron Cummings]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. The deal comes a week after Smith was charged with a felony for having a gun in his pickup truck without a concealed-weapon permit. Smith’s record will be scrubbed clean if he stays out of trouble for a certain length of time. Police say Smith was stopped for speeding on Oct. 7 and found to have a handgun and ammunition but not a concealed-pistol permit. He was arrested, taken to the police station and released to play the next day in Michigan’s game against Indiana. Washtenaw County prosecutor Eli Savit was criticized for waiting nearly two months to file a charge.