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crime & hip hop
It seems good rappers continue to be caught in compromising situations. On Monday
Oct. 15, 2007, Clifford Harris aka T.I., stood before a federal magistrate judge in Atlanta
on charges of possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, and possession of
firearms by a convicted felon. The weighty charges were read in front of T.I.’s immediate
family as well as his extended Grand Hustle family members.
press conference to discuss the case and allowed the media to get a firsthand look at the confiscated
weapons. U.S. Attorney, David E. Nahmias addressed the media and offered insight into
Harris’ case. “Machine guns and silencers pose serious dangers to our community, that’s why
they’re so carefully regulated,” he said. “The last place a machine gun or silencer should be is
in the hands of a convicted felon who is not legally allowed to possess any type of firearms.”
ATF special agent in charge, Vanessa McLemore said this case is no different from the
cases of 129 other defendants they’ve tried and convicted in the past nine months. “Any
arrests based on the magnitude of these firearm charges should be a wake-up call to any
current or future firearms defendants, regardless of your name, your age, your race, profession
or socioeconomic status,” she said.
Standard government protocol for federal firearm charges is to detain the defendant
until the trial. Harris is currently behind bars while awaiting a bond hearing.