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T.I., the TIP master himself, is expected to plead guilty today (3/27) to the federal weapons charges he is currently on house arrest for. T.I. will face prison time, two sources familiar with the case said. The 27 year old southern rapper, T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, is expected to be sentenced to 1,500 hours of community service, which will include talking to youth groups around the country. After his community service he should serve 12 months in prison, according to the two familiar sources, which had knowledge of the negotiations. The two people had to remain anonymous because the deal isn't finalized yet. T.I.'s prison time could be increased or decreased depending on how he completes the terms of his deal and behavior with it. The talks to the youth groups are supposed to be about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs. More soon, stay tuned.
The
U.S. Attorney in Atlanta announced a change-of-plea hearing was
scheduled Thursday afternoon at the federal courthouse. Prosecution
officials were expected to speak to the media after the hearing. U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. must approve the deal. Harris was arrested Oct. 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. He
was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers,
as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced a
maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
Harris
was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. He
initially pleaded not guilty, and has been under house arrest since he
was released on $3 million bond Oct. 26. He is co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records and one of Atlantic Records' most successful artists. Harris
grew up in Atlanta. His first taste of success came with his 2003
album, "Trap Muzik." In 2004, warrants were issued for his arrest on
probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to
three years behind bars. His sixth album, "T.I. vs. T.I.P.," was released July 3 and debuted at No. 1. He co-starred in the 2007 film "American Gangster" with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
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