Rapper T.I. pleads guilty in U.S. gun case (Reuters)

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I.reversed course on Thursday and pleaded guilty to three chargesof illegal weapons possession.

The 27-year-old rapper could have faced up to 10 years inprison for each of the charges, but under terms of his pleaagreement he will receive a lighter penalty.

Sentencing will be delayed until March 2009. In themeantime, T.I., who was born Clifford Harris, must serve atleast 1,000 hours of community service.

If he lives up to his deferred sentencing agreement, hewill be sentenced to one year in prison, pay a $100,000 fine,spend three years under supervised release, including a year ofhome detention, and perform a total of 1,500 hours of communityservice, U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said in a statement.

If the rapper doesn't hold up his end of the deal, he willreceive a much longer sentence, Nahmias said.

"That (community) service will focus on using his highpublic visibility and his talents and life experience to tellat-risk young people about the mistakes he has made and toeducate them about the dangers of violence, guns, gangs, anddrugs," Nahmias said.

"If Mr. Harris (T.I.) performs as expected, his efforts andability to reach and influence a large number of young peopleshould prevent and deter at least some of them from committingcrimes that endanger their communities and ruin their lives,"the statement said.

T.I. won two Grammys last year. He starred in the 2006 film"ATL" and appeared with Denzel Washington in the 2007 movie"American Gangster."

"While I'm not looking forward to being incarcerated, Ihave a long road of redemption to travel ... I am dedicated andcommitted to that," T.I. said in comments quoted by localmedia.

The case against T.I. began in October when agents of theU.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosivesarrested him in a sting operation as he took possession ofthree machine guns and two silencers that a bodyguard bought onhis behalf.

T.I. also admitted he illegally possessed eight firearmsfound in his vehicle and home. He was convicted of a drugoffense in 1998 and is barred from owning or buying firearms.

Two weeks after his arrest, the rapper pleaded not guiltyto the charges and was released on $3 million bond and orderedto remain at home and submit to strict surveillance.

His arrest in Atlanta attracted wide publicity in partbecause it occurred on the day of the BET Hip Hop Awards, atwhich he was due to have played a prominent role.

"This resolution is in the public interest and consistentwith the principles of federal prosecution and sentencing,"Nahmias said.

(Writing by Matthew Bigg; editing by Michael Christie andMohammad Zargham)