Black rap superstar T.I. has pled guilty to federal weapons charges, as part of a plea deal that could send the rapper to prison for a year.The 28-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested in a federal sting last October just hours befre the BET Hip Hop Awards Show after his bodyguard-turned-informant delivered three machine guns and two silencers to the brother's Atlanta home.
Authorities said that Harris, 27, provided the bodyguard $12,000 to buy the weapons, which Harris is not allowed to own because he is a convicted felon. Court documents said Harris was convicted on felony drug charges in 1998, and a federal affidavit said he has been arrested on gun charges in the past.
U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. will first need to sign off on the plea bargain. When sentenced a year from now, the 27-year-old rapper (born Clifford Harris) could be ordered to perform 1,500 hours of community service, which he would serve by talking to youth groups across the U.S., and about 12 months behind bars.
In addition, T.I. could be sentenced to three years' supervised release, including a year of home detention. He could also be ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.According to the terms of the plea deal, T.I.'s prison term could be increased or reduced, depending on his fulfillment of its terms. The deal says T.I.'s message to the youth groups he'll speak to should focus on the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs.
Without a plea bargain, he would have faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. T.I. initially pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been under house arrest since his release on $3 million bond October 26. He was allowed to leave his house to attend church services on Easter Sunday. [CNN]