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T.I. pleads not guilty to weapons charges
10/19/2007 2:00 PM, Reuters
Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I.
pleaded not guilty to a trio of illegal weapons charges on
Friday and a judge ordered him detained for another week.
Federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives arrested the rapper in Atlanta on
Saturday, the day he was due to have starred at the BET hip hop
awards. He had been nominated for nine awards, more than any
other artist, and won two.
They said the arrest came as he took delivery of three
machine guns and two silencers that a bodyguard purchased on
his behalf.
T.I., born Clifford Harris, was convicted of a drug offense
in 1998 and is prohibited from owning or buying firearms.
In a court hearing on Friday T.I.'s lawyers asked to have
him released on a $2.2 million bond, plus around $1.5 million
in equity on two homes.
Judge Alan Baverman said he would consider releasing him on
bond but ordered the rapper detained pending a hearing next
Friday. He said he wanted to know more about who the defense
team proposed to watch T.I.
Defense lawyers said the bond would be subject to a series
of conditions including electronic monitoring, home confinement
and random searches and they offered to pay for a security
official to monitor T.I. round the clock with the government's
consent.
"The conditions are so severe, so stringent ... he will
effectively be in a private jail in his house," T.I. lawyer Ed
Garland told the court.
The defense team introduced executives from Atlantic
Records and Warner Music Group as well as around 30 members of
T.I.'s family and said five Atlantic executives would each be
willing to post a $100,000 signature bond.
"The characteristics of Mr. Harris in large part are
noteworthy and commendable," Baverman said, citing evidence
presented of talks T.I. gave to schoolchildren and his
extensive record of community giving.
However, he said, "I am really, really concerned about that
sort of dichotomy -- somebody who has so many gifts and risks
it all by showing up at a gun deal."
T.I. spent two weeks at No. 1 on U.S. pop charts this
summer with his album "T.I. vs T.I.P.," his second chart-topper
in 18 months.
The album sold 468,000 units in its first week, making it
one of the biggest debuts of the year and tied for CD of the
year at the October 13 awards. He also won best ring tone.
The 27-year-old Atlanta native, who won two Grammy awards
in February and was nominated for two others, is also co-chief
executive of Grand Hustle Records.
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