Ex-Patriots star Willie McGinest facing up to eight years in prison after two felony charges in California

Willie McGinest could be facing some serious jail time

Former Patriots star Willie McGinest has been charged with two felonies stemming from an incident that took place at a restaurant in Southern California back in December. 

McGinest is facing one charge of assault with a deadly weapon and one charge of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office told USA Today. McGinest is facing up to four years in jail for each charge, which means he's potentially staring at eight years behind bars. 

The incident took place at Delilah restaurant in West Hollywood on Dec. 9. According to the report from the Sheriff's office, multiple "witnesses identified [McGinest] as being one of the individuals involved in the incident." There's also a video of the incident, which was released by TMZ back in December. Not only does the security footage shows McGinest appearing to punch the victim multiple times, but it also shows him hitting the victim with a bottle. 

Two weeks after the incident, McGinest came out and admitted that he had a "lapse in judgment" on the night of the beating.

"First and foremost, I want to offer my deepest apology for my lapse in judgment and behavior on December 9 at a restaurant in West Hollywood," McGinest said. "I am disappointed in myself, as I know this is an isolated incident and is not reflective of my faith, role as a father, life's body of work, or the role model I've worked hard to become. It is personally devastating that decades of community service, youth engagement, mentoring, and professional development would become an afterthought in a single moment that should have never happened."

McGinest was working for NFL Network at the time of the attack, but he was suspended following the incident and hasn't appeared on the air since then. 

The former Patriots star spent 15 seasons in the NFL with 12 of those coming in New England (1994-2005). During his time with the Patriots, McGinest was a key player for three Super Bowl-winning teams. 

The two-time Pro Bowler now has an arraignment hearing set for April in the case.