Rapper T.I. expected to plead guilty to firearms charges


By BILL RANKIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/27/08

Atlanta rapper T.I. today is expected to enter a plea of guilty to multiple weapons charges, according to a person familiar with negotiations between prosecutors and the rapper's defense team.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., is scheduled to enter his plea at 1:30 p.m. today at the federal courthouse in Atlanta. When he is sentenced at a later date, Harris faces certain prison time.


AJC
T.I.

RELATED:
• Photos: Guns in the case
• T.I. falls hard and fast
• Timeline leading to arrest
• Read complaint (PDF)
• Explainer: The weapons

ENTERTAINMENT LINKS:
• Photos: T.I. performances
• T.I.'s Easter


Harris was indicted in October on weapons charges that include illegally possessing three machine guns and two silencers and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Federal prosecutors and Harris' defense team have been engaged in intense plea negotiations the past several weeks. The plea agreement must be approved by a federal judge. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Charles Pannell Jr., who will preside over today's plea.

Harris was arrested in a sting in a Midtown parking lot on Oct. 13 as he allegedly tried to buy the weapons just hours before he was to receive two top awards at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.

Harris, one of the world's most popular rappers, is confined to his home under $3 million bond.

Harris and Atlantic Records provided the cash to cover two-thirds of the bond and the balance was secured by Harris' posh Clayton County property. He has been living there with his girlfriend and his children.

A federal magistrate recently gave Harris permission to attend Easter service. Harris and his family were among thousands who went to the Georgia Dome, where New Birth Missionary Baptist Church held its annual worship extravaganza.

Before his arrest in October, Harris had a litany of dealings with law enforcement dating back to 1997 that placed him either in jail or under arrest. These include a crack cocaine distribution conviction, giving false names to police, skipped court dates, probation violations and illegal weapons charges.

When he was arrested by federal agents, Harris was found with marijuana. He told agents the marijuana was his and that he smoked it to get ready for the BET awards show, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Alley said during an October bond hearing.

In an affidavit accompanying Harris' charges, Jason Stricklin, a Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives special agent, said one of Harris' bodyguards cooperated with authorities in the rapper's arrest. The bodyguard, whose name has not been disclosed, told agents he illegally bought nine firearms for Harris since he began working for him in July 2007. In these "straw" purchases, Harris fronted his bodyguard thousands of dollars for the weapons, the agent's affidavits said.

Because Harris was convicted of drug distribution in June 1998 in Cobb County, his felony record prevents him from legally making gun purchases himself.

On four different occasions, Stricklin's affidavit said, Harris gave his bodyguard cash to buy firearms. The bodyguard told authorities that in September he delivered a 9 mm pistol to Harris, who invited the bodyguard into his bedroom, where he saw a large walk-in safe that contained multiple short rifles, according to the affidavit.

In October, hours before the BET awards ceremony, the bodyguard met Harris at a pre-arranged meeting place in Midtown and handed over the three machine guns and two silencers, the affidavit said. At that time, the bodyguard was wearing a hidden wire and cooperating with federal agents.

When Harris was told about one of the silencers, he said, "no flash, no bang," and later asked for the "change leftover" from the $12,000 he had given the bodyguard for the weapons, the affidavit said.

Harris was then arrested, without incident, by federal agents in the Midtown parking lot.

machine guns? WTF?!

please lord send them all away...

Got off pretty light:

Rapper T.I. pleads guilty to firearms charges

Faces about 1 year in prison, 'a long road of redemption'

By BILL RANKIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/27/08

Atlanta rapper T.I. today pleaded guilty to three weapons charges in federal court in Atlanta.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., entered his plea shortly after 1:30 p.m. He pleaded guilty to two counts of illegally possessing machine guns and silencers, and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.


AJC
T.I.

RELATED:
• Photos: Guns in the case
• T.I. falls hard and fast
• Timeline leading to arrest
• Read complaint (PDF)
• Explainer: The weapons

ENTERTAINMENT LINKS:
• Photos: T.I. performances
• T.I.'s Easter


"While I'm not looking forward to being incarcerated, I have a long road of redemption to travel," Harris said, reading a statement outside the Atlanta federal courthouse shortly before 3 p.m. "I am dedicated and committed to that."

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Pannell Jr. scheduled Harris' sentencing a year from now, on March 27, 2009. If Harris abides by the conditions set in his plea agreement, he will receive a prison sentence of one year plus one day. Because the sentence is longer than one year, Harris will be eligible to earn 15 percent time off for good behavior.

Harris also was fined $100,000.

Over the next year, Harris must perform at least 1,000 hours of community service, which includes speaking to "at-risk young people," promoting respect for law enforcement, and opposing violence, illegal and reckless use of firearms, illegal drugs and gang activity.

After the plea, U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said Harris' agreement to speak to young people about the mistakes he has made should prevent and deter some from committing crimes and ruining their own lives.

This unusual type of outreach, Nahmias said, merits a sentence reduction for Harris, just as it would another defendant whose cooperation helps prosecutors obtain a conviction.

prettymansson said:

It's a shame rappers get no love. Well at least, they let him go to church w/his family on Easter.
[Edited 3/27/08 13:28pm]

MsLegs said:

Rappers who portray a false image (gangstas/street icons, etc) and who act like their shit doesn't even stank don't get my sympathy. That's why I love it when people trash 'em.

Go here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/filnobep

Click on where it said "South Park Central". TI is the one with the two machine guns. He gets pulled over by 50 Cents for shooting "Batman" and then he shoots the guys who create the cartoon after Camron complains about them using them for the "Dipset movies". TI's words are funny, lol.

He'll be bigger next year than he ever was.

His audience(s) will consider this an asset, not a liability. These days, rappers put their money on a morbid roulette wheel: sales, imprisonment, or death? Death is the only thing that will end the game in their minds.

namepeace said:

sad.....but true. Says a great deal about the fans.

Empress said:

That's what I'M sayin'!!!???


What in the HAYELL does any normal person need MACHINE GUNS and SILENCERS for?

Hello? Is it just me or does that not even sound remotely right?

You know you have a record, why buy firearms? And especially something with THAT much capacity? With silencers....? Oh hell no. I can understand a person needing a firearm to protect their home and family from intruders. But if somebody is breaking into your spot and you need to blast them in self defense, wouldn't you want everybody on your block to hear it so they knew you were in trouble?

But machine guns and silencers?

Yeah, okay.

Graycap23 said:

And it also says a great deal about the corporations that give up all sense of artistry and social responsibilty to push the marketing and pop culture saturation of these kids into the stratosphere...so that they can make their bottom line.

Ottensen said:

I don't understand it either. It's absolute stupidity. Someone on another thread made an interesting comment about how so many of these rap/hip/hop artists are trying to live the life of a video. Do they think nothing will happen to them because they have money? I don't get the mentality of some of these folks. Thugs with too much money

Empress said:

Thugs, indeed. Everyday folks who want to do the good old "I have my constitutional right to a gun to protect myself, my home, and family" thing generally don't do machine guns and silencers. Machine guns and silencers are for folks who are up to something that they have no business doing
..

...and to think he was purchasing in some back alley parking lot . What a lunkhead.

Empress said:

Thugs? Not hardly.....just dumb asses.

He probably didn't realize how everyone would have reacted when they hear he got "silencers"... that's always the dealbreaker when people discuss this story, like that means his firearm enthusiasm was actually a plot to kill. I really don't think T.I. was planning to kill people. He had a fascination with firearms like a lot of people do, and he had just finished filming American Gangster... I mean I'm glad he didn't get more than a year for this.

Graycap23 said:

Wannabe thugs then and yes, dumb asses too.