T.I. Sentenced To One Year For Machine Gun, Silencer Purchase

ATLANTA — Rapper T.I. was sentenced Friday to one year and a day in prison after pleading guilty to federal weapons charges after he tried to buy a stash of machine guns and silencers to protect himself after his best friend was killed.

The 28-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, will also pay a $100,000 fine as part of his sentence. He was arrested in 2007 after trying to to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers.

He pleaded guilty last March to the federal weapons charges but wasn't sentenced until Friday as part of a deal to see if he would be successful in performing community service by speaking to youths about the pitfalls of drugs, violence and guns.

"Today, I would like to say thank you to some, and apologize to all," the rapper told U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr., who handed down the sentence.

Harris went to buy the cache after his best friend, Philant Johnson, was killed following a post-performance party in Cincinnati in 2006. A man was found guilty last year in the murder case. Harris testified in that trial that he believed the bullets fired at his entourage were meant for him.

Harris ended up trying to buy weapons from undercover federal agents in a deal that was brokered through his bodyguard. He was arrested blocks from where he was to have headlined the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta hours later.

He is supposed to report to prison sometime after May 19. He already has completed about 1,000 hours of community service and will need to complete 470 additional hours. He had faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

"Everything I learned was through trial and error," Harris also told the judge. "I've learned lessons in my life to put in my music so people won't make the same mistakes as I."

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At Friday's hearing, former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young spoke on Harris' behalf.

"He's been able to do the work I've been trying to accomplish for so long in stopping violence in this country," Young told the judge.

Pannell said he was pleased with Harris' progress through his community service.

"I think this has been a great experiment," the judge said. "I hope this experience can lead to other experiments so others won't make the same mistake at all. I congratulate you."

Upon his release, Harris will be on probation for three years. He also will be credited for 305 days of home detention he already has served and must serve an additional 60 days, authorities said.

Harris agreed to community service to avoid a lengthy sentence. He already has made 262 public appearances _ talking to youths at community centers, churches and schools _ as part of that deal.

He also has taken part in a voting campaign to urge young adults to register to vote and had an MTV reality show, "Road to Redemption" to scare teens straight, but neither of those were credited toward the community service.

Harris is known as rap's self-proclaimed "King of the South." Through his healthy dose of confidence, he raps about the harsh realities of a street hustler's life.

Harris is one of the co-chief executives of Grand Hustle Records and one of Atlantic Records' most successful artists.

His sixth album, "Paper Trail," has sold nearly two million copies. It also charted two smash No. 1 songs, and a third with Justin Timberlake is near the top of the charts.

Comments

[the964kid]

If Im not mistaken Georgia is a state where buying guns is pretty easy, even assault weapons (you know, cuz you need those for hunting). He should've just bought them legally.

[MajorKong]

Not smart at all messing with Class 3 firearms like that. The Feds don't take kindly to that sort of thing.

[max08]

What is it with these excessive sentences for blacks?

[EqualMeansEqual]

What is up with ignorant people crying wolf?

NOTHING about THIS sentence is excessive. Convicted felonies with long rap sheets , trying to buy machine guns and silencers should and will be treated like this.

[TivoliEclipse]

See Glenn Greenwald's article on Huffington Post on Jim Webb, U.S. Senator (D-VA)... and what Angela Davis calls the Prison Industrial Complex. Part of Senator Webb's comments on the Senate floor are pasted here regarding the excessive sentencing of African Americans -- specifically for drug use... and felonies etc. notwithstanding.:

"African-Americans are about 12% of our population; contrary to a lot of thought and rhetoric, their drug use rate in terms of frequent drug use rate is about the same as all other elements of our society, about 14%. But they end up being 37% of those arrested on drug charges, 59% of those convicted, and 74% of those sentenced to prison ..."

There is a problem Scotty -- and it has nothing to do with Justice.

[TivoliEclipse]

HedgeHOG reality check!

From Reuters on Mar 26, 2009:

Four of the world's top hedge fund managers took home 10-figure paychecks last year even as the loosely regulated industry delivered its worsWhile last year's rankings shifted slightly, the top four earners had been there before.

James Simons, a former mathematics professor who runs hedge fund group Renaissance Technologies, topped the list by earning an estimated $2.5 billion. For 2007, he was in the third spot, having earned $2.8 billion.

John Paulson, who was among the first investors to bet that U.S. housing prices would decline nationally, followed in second place, taking home an estimated $2 billion in 2008.

In 2007, Paulson earned an estimated $3.7 billion, setting a record for the highest payout on Wall Street and topping the Alpha list.

Energy trader John Arnold, who once worked for Enron Corp, took home $1.5 billion. At 34, he is the youngest on the list. George Soros, the 78-year-old philanthropist, was the fourth best-paid manager, taking home $1.1 billion, the magazine reported.

On average, the take-home pay for the top earners was $464 million, down from $892 million in 2007.

[rjdemont]

I'm assuming he tried to buy machine-pistols, not machine-guns, because a silencer for a machine-gun would be pretty pointless.

[THE JEDI 69]

NRA..CALLING THE NRA....SPEAK UP I CAN"T HEAR YOU

[colibrimoon]

Hey T.I., just remember, "this too shall pass"...

[KJLSanDiego]

God Bless CH! I can't even imagine losing my bff that way. I'd be pretty messed too! Try some compassion and understanding, folks! Put yourself in his shoes and take a lap before condemning him. He's a decent guy who grew up in a pretty crappy environment, and is trying really hard to do better, and help others.

[AN2009]

I'm sure TI will bounce right back with the songs he's written while in jail.

[MorpheusXNYC]

I'm glad this piece of social detritus is going to jail because his "trap music" is nothing but promotion and glorification of drug dealing as a legitimate career move for inner city youth.

This drug dealer turned rapper glorifying drug dealing thug needs to do hard time.

Good riddance - for a year, if we're lucky.

[BustMyChops]

I second that emotion.

[nicoshalom]

Umm...have you ever heard his music?

[MorpheusXNYC]

Umm. Have you READ HIS LYRICS?

[sheikwil4]

I'd rather see him continue doing the community service work he was doing on his show than have him sitting in jail with the tax payers footing the bill. I believe he is a changed person and hell all those crooks at AIG and the other Wall Street thugs are walking the street, atleast something good came out of his community service. So I hope he gets out for good behavior to go back and be a good father to his kids and turn his life around and help some of the other kids that may be on the wrong path.

[Seven7s]

You havent heard his music have you? Come on old guy dont lie.

[MorpheusXNYC]

As a former freelance writer for Hip Hop and R&B magazines from the 1990s into the early 2000s, a dedicated lover of REAL Hip Hop and a sort of poor man's Nelson George (Hip Hop historian), you are indeed out of your depth and out of your league if you're trying to have a debate about on this subject.

Of course I've heard T.I.'s music. As much as I could stomach it. I give all the new generation rappers a chance and most of them disappoint.

They are young, ignorant and have no life acumen to speak of, so they have nothing to say or share on a record other than the same regurgitated images they see on TV.

They then take their money and attempt to create for themselves the kind of life they see on TV and the cycle of mindless consumerism, pleasure seeking and immorality continues.

They then preach that gospel on the track and poison the next generation of kids.

And I'm not that old, son. Just waaaaaaaaaaaay, waaaaaaaaaay, waaaaaaaaaaaay more mature, intelligent, educated and wiser than you with a broader perspective, better discernment and larger vocabulary.

A few gray hairs ain't always a bad thing, son. ;-)

[vinny]

i wonder how you hook up with undercover federal agents?

[BroccoliObumble]

Next career move: getting shot.

[AlligatorShuz]

Where is the NRA fighting for T.I. right to carry a gun? Oh he is black and the racist of the NRA don't think blacks should have guns...

[UncleJimbo]

Outstanding Comment! The NRA rants even on my local radio stations,in Pennsylvania,about the right to bear arms to defend yourself and your family and property, and "prevent crime"! isn't that exactly what he was doing!

[Crotalus]

You don't need a silencer if the gun is for self defense.

[AlligatorShuz]

Now the criminals who caused the financial collalpse of the worlds economy needs to be in jail also. Madeoff, Thaine, AIG, Bank of America President, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mack President, Goldman Sachs they need to be prosecuted for their crimes. TI is a thug but he has not reuined the lives of millions of people and destroyed world economies because of their GREED.

[BaldOuting]

Despite fears about his life or safety, there are legal ways to get guns and he chose not to take this route. He admits he did wrong (which is very admirable) and will serve his time (and hopefully learn his lesson!)

[TivoliEclipse]

Yes'im Boss... three bags full.