Rap star T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was sentenced in Atlanta federal court Friday to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay a $100,300 fine on weapons charges (purchasing machine guns and silencers).
The 28-year-old Harris, who was dressed in a gray suit and black shirt and tie, spoke these words to the court, "I would like to say thank you to some, and apologize to others. In my life, I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it. Most often, things I have learned have been from trial and error. I knew no way to protect myself than to arm myself."
Mr. Harris also was sentenced to some property forfeiture, supervised release for three years after his prison sentence, 365 days of home confinement and 1,500 hours of community service. He has already served 305 days of home confinement and 1,030 hours of service. He also must undergo DNA testing and drug counseling, cannot own firearms and must submit to reasonable searches and a financial audit.
Former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young spoke on behalf of Harris. Young said he regarded working with Harris not so much as a chance to help him but more as "an opportunity for him to help me." "It was a grandfather type of relationship." He spoke of a visit to a hospital for paraplegics by him and Mr. Harris, "He heard the testimonies of guys in their 50s and 60s who talked about being shot back when they were 16." Bishop Eddie Long also spoke in support of Harris.
For his court hearing Friday, Harris' attorneys submitted more than 100 letters from officials who thanked him for his community service since the weapons arrest. One of the letters was from Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, who said Harris did an "outstanding job" talking to a group of teenagers about not breaking the law. "If only one young person in that courtroom listened to Mr. Harris -- and I believe they all did -- we are all better for it," Sears wrote. "He was honest, humble and inspirational."
Harris will be taken into custody no earlier than May 19. The plea agreement, which federal authorities called unique, allowed the entertainer to remain out of prison for a year while he performed community service. In that time, he mentored at-risk students at 58 schools, 12 Boys & Girls Clubs, nine churches and many other nonprofit organizations.
The multiplatinum rapper has starred in the MTV reality show, "T.I.'s Road to Redemption: 45 Days to Go," which chronicles his efforts to shave years off his sentence by completing his community service. The show features him talking to schools and community groups "about how to avoid the trouble he now finds himself in."
Mr. Harris was arrested in October 2007 in an Atlanta parking lot hours before he was to perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards. He was caught in a federal sting after his bodyguard-turned-informant delivered three machine guns and two silencers to him. The rapper had provided the bodyguard with $12,000 to buy the weapons. Harris was not permitted to own any guns, however, because he was convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges -- possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute -- in suburban Atlanta.
