UPDATE: T.I.’s Lawyers Ask For Bond, Home Confinement

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — Surrounded by record executives and 35 of his relatives, rapper T.I. entered a not guilty plea Friday to gun charges, but a federal judge said he won’t rule until next week on whether T.I. can remain free on a bail that could total $2 million in cash.

 

 

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested Saturday on weapons charges.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman said he remained troubled about the behavior of T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris.

Despite an offer by Harris’ attorneys to have him placed under 24-hour monitoring with drug exams during the bail period, Baverman said, “I haven’t heard enough. 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.”

Baverman said he is concerned that Harris might be a flight risk. He said he wants to look into the monitoring service recommended by the defense attorney, and will ask for $2 million in cash for the bail bond, and for Harris to pledge the equity in both his houses, valued at $1.5 million.

Baverman said he will rule on whether he will grant bail for Harris on October 26.

Harris, 27, was arrested in a federal sting Saturday just hours before he was scheduled to perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards. His bodyguard-turned-informant delivered three machine guns and two silencers to the rapper, according to a Justice Department statement.

At the hearing, Harris’ attorneys attempted to show that he was not a flight risk by asking Harris’ relatives to stand. Around 35 people stood.

In addition, six record executives were present, including Lyor Cohen, chairman and CEO of U.S. Recorded Music for the Warner Music Group, as well as the president of Atlantic Records. The record executives spoke in support of Harris’ bail application and pledged up to $2.2 million in signature bonds on Harris’ behalf. The signature bonds would guarantee Harris would show up for trial or the executives would forfeit the $2.2 million.

After the hearing Harris’ attorney, Steve Sadow, said he had no quarrel with the judge’s deliberations “because he’s a man who is taking his job very seriously and there are positions on both sides that are conflicting. So he’s doing what he’s supposed to do and that’s all we can ask.”

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Charges Dropped Against Beanie Sigel

Beanie Sigel has beaten another rap. Prosecutors withdrew charges yesterday against the rapper, whose real name is Dwight Grant, after he resolved a dispute over a rental car he had kept long past its return date.

“We’re satisfied with the way the D.A.’s Office handled the case,” said Sigel’s attorney, Fortunato N. Perri Jr. He said there were no further outstanding charges against his client.

Sigel, 33, of South Philadelphia, was dressed in a brown shirt and pants as he appeared at his 9 a.m. preliminary hearing at 55th and Pine Streets before Municipal Court Judge Frank Brady.

Perri said that an employee with Payless Car Rental told the court that there had been a “misunderstanding” and that the agency wanted to drop the charges.

Payless, which continued to charge Grant’s credit card, reported the car stolen on Sept. 6, nearly a month after it was due to be returned on Aug. 13. Sigel paid the nearly $5,000 he owed for holding the 2007 Nissan Altima past its deadline.

Perri helped Sigel beat an attempted-murder rap in August 2005, a month after he left federal prison on a gun charge. He was also briefly jailed in late 2005 for failing to pay $27,000 in child support.

T.I. Heads Back to Court

Rapper T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., is scheduled for a 10:30 bond hearing at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Atlanta.

Earlier this week, a grand jury passed down three indictments against Harris. He is charged with possessing unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawfully possessing machine guns, and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said ATF agents didn’t target the famous rapper, but that’s where the evidence led them. Investigators say Harris asked his bodyguard to buy machine guns and silencers for him. Other guns were allegedly found in Harris’ College Park home.

Friday’s bond hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman is expected to draw a large crowd. After fans and media packed the courtroom during Harris’ initial appearance, plans have been made to move the bond hearing to a bigger courtroom.

Foxy Brown Update: Lawyer drops case after wife is threatened

The defense lawyer for rapper Foxy Brown was scared off her case after his wife was threatened by a mystery man in the lobby of their Brooklyn building, the Daily News has learned.

Attorney Alan Stutman, who was representing the diminutive diva on felony assault charges, asked off the case after the bizarre incident, which occurred Friday night.

Stutman’s wife told police that a man she did not know got out of a silver car and confronted her in the lobby.

“How can a beautiful woman like you be beaten up?” he asked and then fled.

Brown, 28, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was arraigned on an indictment that charges her with belting a Brooklyn neighbor with her BlackBerry in July.

Snoop gets community service

US rapper Snoop Dogg will pick up rubbish and perform other park maintenance duties for carrying an illegal weapon in an airport last year, authorities in California have said.

The artist, whose real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr, will do “everything from raking leaves to painting benches” in order to meet the 160 hours of community service he was ordered to perform, said his attorney, Donald Etra.

“He’s glad to make a contribution to Orange County,” the attorney said.

Broadus chose the Orange County park site from a list of probation-approved community service sites and will be supervised by a park ranger, county prosecutor Andre Manssourian said.

A judge approved the park service. County officials declined to release the name of the park, citing concerns that media and fans might interfere.

The 35-year-old rapper pleaded guilty last month to felony possession of a dangerous weapon.

He was arrested on September 27, 2006, after the discovery of a collapsible baton in his computer bag at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

Broadus said the baton was a prop for a video he was filming in New York.

The felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanour if the rapper does not break the law for a year.

Employee of 50 Cent faces assault, gun charges

HARTFORD, Conn. – An employee of 50 Cent was arrested on assault and gun charges after he allegedly pistol-whipped a nightclub promoter who refused to announce an after-party at the rapper’s Farmington mansion, police said.

Dwayne “Hove” McKenzie, 26, who police said lives at the mansion, allegedly assaulted the Hartford promoter last week and was found four days later with a 9 mm Glock and another handgun.

McKenzie lost his right to carry a gun last August, when police said he fired shots after he was robbed of a $100,000 necklace outside a Hartford nightclub.

His attorney, Gerald M. Klein, said he was in the process of trying to get McKenzie’s pistol permit back when he was arrested Sunday.

Klein said Tuesday that McKenzie had no criminal record.

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C-Murder to be re-tried on murder charge

NEW ORLEANS — The rapper sometimes known as C-Murder will be tried a second time on a second-degree murder charge in February.

Corey Miller’s Feb. 11 trial date was set during a telephone conference with prosecutors and defense attorneys, Judge Martha Sassone said in court Tuesday.

Miller, 36, is accused of shooting to death Steve Thomas, 16, at a Harvey nightclub on Jan. 12, 2002. The teen had used a fake ID to get into the club to see the rapper, whom family members said Thomas idolized.

Although Miller changed nicknames from “C-Murder” to “C-Miller” after he was charged with murder, his byline for the novel Death Around the Corner is “Corey Miller a.k.a. C-Murder”.

Sassone said she had approved trips which Miller made in July to New York and last week to Mississippi, although her approval was not documented in the clerk of court’s electronic database until Monday.

Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer will file an affidavit to explain why the records were not posted sooner on the database, called JeffNet. “The court is not responsible for the filing and imaging of the documents,” Sassone said.

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Foxy Brown in court for ‘mobile phone assault’

Foxy Brown was singing a different tune when she showed up in court four days after refusing to appear to face assault charges.

The 28-year-old rapper, who is serving a year at Rikers Island prison for violating probation, arrived at Brooklyn State Supreme Court wearing casual street clothing.

She pleaded not guilty to charges that she threw a mobile phone at a neighbour who complained about the volume of her car radio.

The plea was entered by her lawyer, John Sampson, the district attorney’s office said.

Last Friday, Brown twice refused to appear in court for her arraignment.

Prosecutors rescheduled her appearance for yesterday, warning that if she refused to show up, the court would issue an order allowing correction officers to put her in handcuffs and force her onto a bus.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Facing Arrest Following Fracas At NYC Party?

NEW YORK, NY (October 16, 2007) – Authorities are looking to arrest rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs over a bust up in New York City this past weekend, according to a source close to law enforcement.Combs is expected to be arrested and charged with assault over the alleged incident which occurred on Saturday, October 13, the source told Access Hollywood. The source said Diddy will be arrested and released on his own recognizance, meaning the hip-hop superstar won’t have to spend time in jail or be arraigned right away.

“He’ll be charged with third degree assault, and possibly other misdemeanor charges as well,” the source told Access. “He’ll likely get a desk appearance ticket with a future court date rather than being taken into immediate custody, spending the night in jail and being arraigned right away.”

Diddy’s lawyer Benjamin Brafman however, told Access that the star will not be booked today.

“What is being reported in the media is inaccurate. Mr. Combs is not going to be arrested today. We are hopeful that this matter will be resolved without the filing of any criminal charges as this was a disagreement among acquaintances, not a criminal assault,” his statement read.

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Say Goodbye To T.I.

So, it looks like rapper T.I.’s career is most likely finished. On Saturday, October 14th, Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. [a.k.a. T.I. or T.I.P.] was arrested by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for illegal possession of machine guns. The 27-year old rapper, who won two Grammy awards in February, accepted the delivery of the guns and silencers.

Three guns were found in a vehicle, which the rapper was driving and the agents found additional six-guns in his home in College Park, Georgia. The ceased guns were not registered on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

T.I was just hours away from his appearance at the BET Networks awards ceremony in Atlanta. He was nominated for nine awards, more than any other artist in the ceremony.

I’m really not sure what to think here. I mean, why in the world these rappers can’t get their shit together once they become successful. It looks like he’s thrown his rap career in the garbage.