Rapper Federal Gun Charges

ATLANTA - Federal agents arrested Grammy-winning rapper T.I. on Saturday on charges of buying illegal machine guns, hours before he was due to star at a major hip hop awards ceremony. Agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said they arrested the rapper at his home in southwest Atlanta as he took delivery of three machine guns and two silencers. "This convicted felon allegedly was trying to add several machine guns to an already large and entirely illegal arsenal of guns," David E. Nahmias, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, said in a statement. "Thanks to the good and quick work of ATF, he is now in custody and his firearms have been seized," Nahmias said. T.I. was convicted of a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act in 1998 and given seven years probation, the Department of Justice said. It is a federal offense for a convicted felon to purchase firearms on their behalf, Justice said. T.I., born Clifford Harris, was arrested at 2.30 p.m. EDT , the day he was due to perform at the BET Networks awards ceremony in Atlanta.