T.I. News

A federal judge in Atlanta on Friday approved T.I.'s release on $3 million bail but ordered the rap superstar placed under house arrest pending his trial on felony weapons charges.

The 27-year-old emcee, whose real name is Clifford Harris, will be restricted to a home in suburban Henry County, and his movements will be tracked 24/7 by a private monitoring service, which he'll have to pay for. He will only be permitted to leave for hearings and court-approved medical appointments.

"I want to thank all the fans for their support," the rapper told reporters as he approached his SUV following the hearing. "Due to the severity of the situation, I can't say much more.

"I want to get all of this behind me."

U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman did not disclose further information about the location. The property doesn't appear to belong to T.I., whose own residence is in College Park.

The double Grammy winner is also barred from possessing any firearms and having any contact with witnesses or informants in his criminal case.

Baverman cautioned T.I. not to "do anything that will undermine" his case, or "a number of very bad things will happen."

The rapper was collared on Oct. 13 in the parking lot of a metro Atlanta shopping center while allegedly trying to buy a cache of weapons. The arrest, which came only a few hours before T.I. was due to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, capped a two-week sting orchestrated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

T.I. was attempting to purchase three machine guns, two silencers and a pistol, using his bodyguard as an intermediary, according to authorities.

As a convicted felon, it's a federal offense for him to possess any firearms. A grand jury in turn indicted T.I. on two felony counts, possession of unregistered weapons and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

Because he has a previous conviction on drug charges in 1998, as well as several probation violations, the "Hurt" emcee could be facing some serious prison time if found guilty on the weapons rap—up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count.

Prosecutors had previously opposed T.I.'s bond request, arguing that after the arrest, agents found marijuana in his vehicle and several loaded firearms in his home.

The next hearing is set for Nov. 5.