T.I., born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., is an American rapper, actor, and entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia. He is one of the most successful hip-hop artists of the 2000s, having released 9 studio albums, with 7 of them reaching the top of the Billboard 200 chart. However, T.I.’s career has also been marked by frequent legal issues, including weapons charges and probation violations that have resulted in multiple stints in prison. In this article, we will take a look at the crimes that led to T.I.’s incarceration and examine the events that shaped his tumultuous relationship with the criminal justice system.
T.I.’s Early Legal Issues
Long before his rise to fame, T.I. had his first brush with the law in 1997 when he was arrested at age 17 for possession of crack cocaine. After accepting a 3-year probation sentence, he was arrested again in 1998 for violating his probation after being caught trying to sell drugs. These early drug charges landed T.I. in prison for the first time, serving 3 years at the Dekalb County Jail in Georgia.
Shortly after being released from prison in 2001, T.I. earned a recording contract with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records. However, his legal troubles continued even as his music career started taking off. In March 2004, an arrest warrant for T.I. was issued by Florida police for an outstanding probation violation warrant from Georgia. The next month, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison for a probation violation, stemming from his previous arrests.
The Federal Weapons Charges
T.I.’s most serious legal case began on October 13, 2007 when he and his bodyguard were arrested for attempting to purchase unregistered machine guns and silencers from undercover federal agents. Authorities were tipped off that T.I. had tried to illegally purchase the firearms earlier that year. When he tried again to obtain the weapons in Atlanta, he was apprehended by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
In total, T.I. was charged with 2 counts of possession of unregistered machine guns and 2 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Initially facing 10 years in prison, T.I. pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced in March 2009 to one year and one day in prison, along with a fine, community service, and probation.
Probation Revocation & Return to Prison
After being released from prison in 2009, T.I. was placed on probation which included a curfew, community service, and mandatory drug counseling. However, in September 2010 he and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle were arrested shortly before the BET Hip Hop Awards for drug possession. The arrest was considered a violation of his probation which meant potential return to prison.
In October 2010, T.I. was sentenced to 11 months in prison for violating the terms of his probation. U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell also ordered T.I. to pay a $100,000 fine and serve 1,500 additional hours of community service after completing his prison term. T.I. stated that he accepted full responsibility for violating his probation and apologized to his fans. He was released from an Arkansas prison in August 2011.
Subsequent Legal Issues
While he has avoided further incarceration since his last release from prison in 2011, T.I. has continued to have legal issues over the past decade. In September 2011, he received a lawsuit and settlement demand from a Las Vegas security guard who accused T.I. of punching him in the face. He was sentenced to community service and probation for this incident.
In 2015, T.I. again faced drug charges after his arrest for possession of controlled substances and for smoking marijuana outside his tour bus. The drug charges against him were eventually dropped. And in 2016, he settled a tax lien case with the IRS for $4.5 million in back taxes owed.
While T.I. has largely stayed out of legal trouble in recent years while focusing on his entertainment career, his rap sheet is an example of the frequent entanglements hip-hop stars of his era had with the criminal justice system. His willingness to chronicle his struggles with crime and incarceration also provided an unfiltered look at the reality of America’s prison system.
Timeline of T.I.’s Crimes & Incarcerations
| Date | Crime/Arrest | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Arrested for possession of crack cocaine at age 17 | 3 years probation |
| 1998 | Arrested for violating probation for selling drugs | 3 years in Dekalb County Jail |
| 2004 | Arrested for outstanding probation violation | 3 years in prison |
| 2007 | Arrested for attempting to purchase illegal firearms | 1 year and 1 day in prison |
| 2010 | Arrested for drug possession, violating probation | 11 months in prison |
What was T.I.’s first arrest?
T.I.’s first arrest came at age 17 in 1997 when he was caught with possession of crack cocaine. He received 3 years probation.
What crime led to T.I.’s longest prison sentence?
His attempt to illegally purchase machine guns and silencers from undercover agents in 2007 led to his longest sentence of 1 year and 1 day in prison.
How many times has T.I. been in prison?
T.I. has served 3 separate stints in prison due to drug charges, probation violations, and federal weapons charges.
What types of charges has T.I. faced?
The main charges T.I. has faced are drug possession, illegally purchasing firearms, violating probation terms, and tax evasion.
Why did T.I. return to prison in 2010?
In 2010 T.I. was forced to return to prison for 11 months after violating his probation by being arrested for drug possession shortly after his 2009 release.
Conclusion
In summary, T.I. has faced a series of legal issues over the course of his hip-hop career that have resulted in multiple convictions and trips to prison. His initial drug arrests as a young dealer preceded rising fame as a rap artist in the 2000s. But federal weapons convictions based on illegal firearm purchases marked the height of his legal troubles in the late 2000s, followed by probation violations that led to further incarceration. Despite his criminal past, T.I. remains one of the most successful hip-hop artists of his era. However, his repeated run-ins with the law provide insight into the criminal justice system’s intersections with the hip-hop community.