T.I. Will Go To Prison In A Year After Reaching Plea Deal

03/31/08 6:00pm

T.I. agreed to a plea deal on March 27, but still faces prison time for several federal weapons possession charges after his arrest in October.

The rapper (real name Clifford Harris Jr.) won't be sentenced for a year, but in that time he'll remain under strict bond conditions and must complete at least 1,000 of a total 1,500 hours of community service through talking to youth groups about the danger of guns, gangs and drugs. He's expected to serve a year behind bars after that, though that time could be increased or reduced depending on his behaviour and the fulfillment of his plea bargain terms. He'll also be subjected to up to three years of supervised home detention and must pay a $100,000 U.S. fine.

T.I., who's been under house arrest since Oct. 26, originally pleaded not guilty to possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawful possession of machine guns and possession of firearms by a convicted felon (related to a 1998 drug charge and 2004 probation violations). But he changed his tune and made the plea deal. Without that, the 27 year old faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge.

T.I. spoke to the media after his court appearance and, according to the Associated Press, said: "I'd like to thank God for blessing me with a second chance in life and success.?I'm looking forward to turning this negative time in my life into a positive. I know I have a long road of redemption to travel."

The hip-hop star's sixth album, T.I. Vs. T.I.P., debuted at #1 on the U.S. sales chart when it was released last July. He also appeared, appropriately, in the film American Gangster with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.