A grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., indicted...

A grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., indicted former Atlanta sports agent Jim Abernethy, who has confirmed paying performance bonuses to Auburn defensive back Kevin Porter, state Attorney General Don Siegelman said.

The panel returned misdemeanor counts of tampering with a sports event, violating the deceptive practices act and commercial bribery, Siegelman said.

Siegelman said his office was doing everything it could “to get Jim Abernethy before a judge and jury,” but prosecuting the case could be difficult because Abernethy lives in Georgia.

Each count carries a maximum penalty on one year in the Lee County Jail upon conviction, Siegelman said.