Dennis Farina Staring Down Gun Charges

Actor charged with three misdemeanors for attempting to board LAX flight with a loaded gun in his bag

Dennis Farina is still on the same bad trip.

The former Law & Order star was hit Wednesday with three misdemeanor weapons charges stemming from his arrest at LAX last month, when he attempted to board a flight with a loaded semiautomatic pistol in his briefcase.

While the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office opted not to pursue the matter as a felony, the L.A. City Attorney has charged Farina with carrying a weapon into a secured area, possession of a concealed weapon and possession of a loaded weapon in a public place.

"We felt it more than appropriate to file these three misdemeanor charges," City Attorney's Office spokesman Frank Mateljan told E! News. “They found a .22 caliber handgun in his luggage when he was going through an airport security checkpoint. It’s never safe or advisable to bring a loaded weapon into an airport.”

The actor told police at the time that he completely forgot he had the gun in his bag when he went through security.

Following his release from custody on $35,000 bail, the onetime Chicago cop blamed his "own stupidity" for the situation. "I'll be spending the next few days kicking my own ass," he said. "No one is more embarrassed than myself."

Farina is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday. His attorney couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

If convicted on all charges, he is looking at a maximum of two and a half years in jail and more than $3,000 in fines.

—Additional reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum