Prosecutors to introduce prior firearms violations in T.I.’s federal weapons case

ATLANTA – T.I., who faces federal weapons charges, has previously violated the law by possessing firearms and a silencer while a convicted felon, a federal prosecutor said in a document filed Monday.\nThe 27-year-old rapper was arrested Oct. 13, just hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers.\nHarris is charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He is under house arrest.\nIn a notice filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, the U.S. Attorney’s office said Monday it plans to introduce evidence of three occasions when Harris unlawfully possessed guns, ammunition and a silencer, “all after having been convicted of a felony offense.”\nThe first was Dec. 22, 2001, in Atlanta. Harris allegedly gave the name Douglas Morgan and was carrying a concealed 9 mm pistol. The arrest did not result in a criminal conviction. He was arrested Nov. 1, 2002, in Henry County and later convicted of carrying a 10 mm pistol, the document said.\nThe third arrest was the result of a search warrant executed at his home in Fulton County on Dec. 18, 2004. Officers said they found a firearm with an attached silencer, large amounts of ammunition and photos of Harris holding weapons. The incident didn’t result in a conviction.\nHarris was arrested on charges of selling crack in northwest Atlanta when he was 17. He was sentenced to seven years of probation, which he violated, and was sent to jail.