ATLANTA (Reuters) – “Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I. pleaded not guilty on Friday to three charges of illegally possessing silencers and machine guns.
Federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested the rapper in Atlanta Saturday, the day he was due to have appeared 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 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.
T.I.’s lawyers were seeking on Friday to have him released on a $2.2 million bond and subject to electronic monitoring and home confinement.”
He will remain in jail on weapons charges for at least another week, after a federal judge on Friday denied any immediate release on bond.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman said he will hold another hearing next Friday to further consider conditions proposed by the rap star’s lawyers that may prompt him to release their client pending trial.
I don’t really know what to say about this other than he had to know what the law was regarding him being prohibited from owning and buying firearms. It’s really a shame because the brother is talented and business minded. He’s had a lot of positive things to say in the recent debates over Hip Hop and it’s influence. Ole Boy was “allegedly” buying some real machinery. Here’s a photo.
Image may be NSFW.
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