LAS VEGAS >> An associate of boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. took a plea deal Friday that could get him 18 years in prison for shooting at two men in a car after one of the men argued with the boxer at a Las Vegas skating center.

Ocie Harris, 29, of Chicago, pleaded an equivalent of no contest in Nevada state court to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of firing a weapon into a vehicle. Each charge carries a possible sentence of one to six years in prison.

Harris declined to comment outside court. His lawyer, Tom Pitaro, said he intends to seek probation.

Harris avoided an upcoming trial with his Alford plea. He didn’t admit guilt but acknowledged that prosecutors could prove their case involving the August 2009 shooting outside the Crystal Palace Skate Center. Prosecutors dropped two attempted murder charges and one felony weapon charge.

Mayweather was never charged in the case, and his name wasn’t spoken during Harris’ brief court appearance before Clark County District Judge Douglas Herndon. Mayweather’s lawyer, Richard Wright, didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Prosecutor Samuel Bateman noted that Harris’ plea is a conviction on three felonies. He said he planned to make Mayweather’s presence at the shooting scene and his encounter with one of the men in the car part of the court record during Harris’ sentencing scheduled for Aug. 23.

"The facts are plain that Mr. Harris and Mr. Mayweather are associates and friends," Bateman said outside court. "It doesn’t appear to me there was any other motive" for the shooting.

Authorities say seven shots were fired and six hit the car, but neither man in the BMW sedan was wounded.