T.I. News

T.I. pleaded not guilty on Friday in Atlanta to felony weapons charges, but a federal judge denied the hit-making rapper's request to post bail. Instead, the "Hurt" emcee must remain in lockup for at least another week, until an Oct. 26 bail hearing.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman said he was disturbed by the accusations that T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, attempted to purchase a cache of illegal machine guns only hours before he was due to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. Consequently, the judge rejected a proposal by T.I.'s lawyers to have him post $2.2 million bond, and be placed in 24-hour home confinement with electronic and human monitoring.

"I haven't heard enough," Baverman told a courtroom packed with the hip-hopster's family members, label executives and reporters. The Atlantic Records bigwigs were present to help cover the proposed bail amount.

"This is an extremely gifted and talented musician. He has been exceedingly generous and has reached out to the community with great generosity. At the same time and on the same day he was supposed to receive one of the most important awards in his career, he shows up armed to buy machine guns. I'm concerned about that dichotomy."

The 27-year-old T.I. was busted last Saturday as he attempted to pick up three machine guns, two silencers and a pistol in the parking lot of a shopping center not far from the site of the BET show. The arrest culminated a two-week sting set up by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A grand jury on Wednesday indicted T.I. on two felony counts—possession of unregistered weapons and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. T.I. was convicted on drug charges in 1998 and sentenced to seven years' probation.

After several probation violations, he was arrested on separate gun-related charges in 2004.

Baverman expressed worry that the performer could pose a flight risk, despite assurances by the rapper's lawyer, Steve Sadow. The attorney said T.I. was willing to surrender his passport and driver's license, in addition to home confinement. Sadow also said the rapper would submit to random drug tests and searches.

The judge indicated that he would take the week to examine a "package" of conditions before granting T.I. his release. Baverman wants more details on who would monitor T.I., what other individuals might live in the residence, how visitors would be regulated and how police would be alerted if the rapper violated the rules of his confinement.

Prosecutors vehemently opposed the bond request.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Alley said that at the time of T.I.'s arrest, agents found a half-pound bag of marijuana in the rapper's vehicle, along with three handguns, one of which was loaded.

"He told agents the marijuana was his and he had smoked marijuana that day to get ready for the BET Awards show," the prosecutor said.

That led Baverman to question T.I.'s honest, noting that the Atlanta native subsequently told an officer he had been off pot for more than a year.

Outside the courtroom, Sadow told reporters that he respected the judge's decision to put off bond due to  the gravity of the charges.

"I think our hurdle in defending this case is the nature of the way it's been presented. His criminal history has posed a problem, as the court has recognized, but he also has a lot of good things that he's done, which the judge recognized as well," he said.

As for T.I., Sadow added that the rapper is taking it all in stride.

"He's not upset at all," said the lawyer. "He understands the process and respects what the court is doing."