Rapper T.I. (pleads guilty to firearms charges)

Faces about 1 year in prison, long community service
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.

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• 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
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.
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.
Harris did not make any statements during the hearing, offering only polite replies of "yes" and "no" to the judge's questions.
"Are you guilty of these charges?" Panell asked Harris.
"Yes, your Honor," said Harris, who donned a gray suit at the hearing.
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 had been engaged in intense plea negotiations the past several weeks.
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.
- Staff writer Jamie Gumbrecht contributed to this article. A BlackTree Media Production Thank you for watching!