Rapper's Local Gig in Limbo Following His Arrest

Oct 16, 08:52 AM

Current Headlines: By Brad Barnes, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.

Oct. 16--Concert promoters won't know until Friday the fate of T.I.'s scheduled Columbus concert, in light of the rapper's arrest Saturday in Atlanta.

During a preliminary hearing Monday, federal authorities urged a judge to hold T.I. -- born Clifford Harris Jr. -- until his trial, which would be months away. He was charged with illegally buying three machine guns and two silencers.

The judge will decide whether to hold or release him on Friday. But if he's released on bond: "The show is on," said Mike Blackwell, who is helping Fountain City Classic officials promote the show.

The Columbus concert is scheduled for Nov. 3 at the Columbus Civic Center as an after-party to the annual Fountain City Classic football bowl game played at Memorial Stadium. That's a day after the movie "American Gangster" is released. T.I. shares screen time with actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in the film.

If Harris is denied bond, planners will either book another comparable headliner, or, barring that, pull the plug on the show outright.

"I'm going to wait until Friday to make that decision," Blackwell said.

The rapper's agents, the William Morris Agency, told Blackwell on Monday that the artist still plans to perform at his 15 currently booked shows if possible.

Harris was arrested Saturday, hours before the BET Hip Hop awards where he was expected to perform. Federal authorities say he tried to buy the weapons from a man cooperating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.

Harris on Monday appeared briefly in federal court. Wearing a black shirt and black jeans, he entered the courtroom expressionless and scanned the crowd made up of family, supporters and media. Authorities say he planned Saturday to pick up machine guns and silencers that he had his bodyguard buy for him.

Agents with the ATF arrested Harris in midtown Atlanta. Authorities say other firearms were found in his vehicle and in his suburban Atlanta home.

Harris is charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He was convicted in 1998 of manufacturing and distributing cocaine and controlled substances, and several related charges. He has also violated his probation by possessing firearms before.

Saturday's arrest resulted from an investigation that began this month when a federal firearms dealer contacted the ATF about a man inquiring about buying a machine gun without registering the weapon as required, according to a criminal complaint filed Saturday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

After attempting to purchase several machine guns from an undercover ATF agent, the unnamed individual -- who said he had been working as a bodyguard for Harris since July 2007 -- was arrested and began cooperating with the government and said that he was buying the machine guns and silencers for Harris.

Harris allegedly brokered the deals through the bodyguard because of his felony record. But it is also a violation of federal law for a felon to have another person purchase or acquire firearms on his behalf.

Saturday's arrest came just hours before the BET Hip Hop Awards on what was supposed to be a day of revelry for T.I., who turned 27 on Sept. 25 and is the co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records. Despite his arrest, the rapper, who was up for nine nominations, won two awards at the show.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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