Facing jail: Law and Order actor Dennis Farina will charge criminal charges for carrying a gun into an airport

Law & Order actor Dennis Farina has been charged with illegally having a gun in his luggage at Los Angeles International Airport.

Farina was charged the actor with three minor charges involving possession of a concealed and loaded weapon.

The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 2 1/2 years in jail and $3,000 in fines.

Farina was arrested three weeks ago when a .22-calibre handgun was found in his carry-on luggage at the airport. He publicly apologised and told police he forgot the weapon was there.

The actor, who has starred in Guy Ritchie film Snatch, but is best known for playing New York Police Detective Joe Fontana on long-running television crime series 'Law & Order'.

Late in May, the Los Angeles County District Attorney decided against filing 'felony' charges, which would have carried stiffer penalties.

Farina, 64, faces one count of carrying a weapon into a secured area, which carries a sentence of as much as six months in jail and a $1000 fine.

He also faces a second count of possession of a concealed weapon and a third count of possession of a loaded weapon in a public place.

Farina was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on May 11th - The 'Law And Order' star is accused of carrying a loaded gun in his briefcase

Each of those charges carries a maximum penalty of up to 1 year in jail and a $1000 fine, Mateljan said.

The actor was a policeman in Chicago for nearly 20 years before building a Hollywood career mostly playing detectives. He has starred in movies like Get Shorty , Snatch and new Cameron Diaz film What Happens in Vegas.

Farina alongside Vinnie Jones in Guy Ritchie's hit film Snatch (2000)