ATLANTA — Rapper T.I. was sentenced Friday to one year and a day in jail for federal weapons charges, stemming from his arrest in 2007.
"Today I would like to say thank you to some, and apologize to all," the 28-year-old music star told U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. at sentencing, according to The Associated Press.
T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, pleaded guilty last March after he was arrested in October 2007. The arrest was part of a sting operation in which T.I. took possession of three machine guns and two silencers that a bodyguard bought on his behalf. The arrest happened just hours before T.I. was scheduled to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.
T.I. was convicted of a drug offense in 1988 that forbid him from owning or buying firearms. He has explained that fear led him into trying to purchase the guns. His best friend, Philant Johnson, was killed following a post-performance party in Cincinnati in 2006.
The rapper will have between 30 and 60 days to report to jail, where he'll be separated from his fiancé, Tameka Cottle, and his six children. It remains unclear as to when he'll begin his prison sentence.
T.I. has already made good on completing about 1,000 hours of community service that were required as part of his plea deal. Much of that time has been spent warning children about the dangers of guns, drugs and violence, as documented on his MTV reality series, "T.I.'s Road to Redemption." The singer still needs to complete an additional 470 hours.
T.I. won two Grammys in 2007 for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album. He also appeared alongside Denzel Washington in the film "American Gangster."
- Comment
