Oct 5, 2010

T.I. Due Back in Court October 15


T.I. may find out soon whether he will be headed back to prison for a possible probation violation in connection with his arrest last month on drug charges in Los Angeles.

According to TMZ, the rapper (born Clifford Harris) will go before Judge Charles Pannell on October 15 to plead for his probation not to be revoked over the arrest. A spokesperson for one of Tip's attorneys, Ed Garland, would not confirm the date, nor would Pannell's office.

When T.I. and wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle were arrested in Los Angeles on September 1, police originally charged them with possession of a controlled substance — a substance that was later revealed to be Ecstasy. But according to new documents, that might not have been the only drug in their possession. The charges could send T.I. back to prison.

Last month E! Online obtained documents in which T.I.'s probation officer reported that L.A. County Sheriff's deputies also found codeine and marijuana in his possession during the arrest. The documents were filed as part of a summons issued by U.S. District Judge Pannell, requiring T.I. to appear before the court to explain why his probation should not be revoked after the incident. The judge's order lists three possible violations of his probation: possession of Ecstasy, testing positive for opiates and associating with a convicted felon.

"We are very disappointed in Mr. Harris' recent conduct," United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in an e-mail to MTV News on September 17. "We will make our sentencing recommendation at the revocation hearing."

While the drug possession could present a major problem for the rapper — who spent 10 months in prison after his 2007 arrest for illegally attempting to purchase firearms in Atlanta — the terms of his probation in the case included provisions to avoid contact with known felons.

According to reports, T.I. was accompanied by a convicted felon when he was pulled over and arrested in Los Angeles. The felon in question was reportedly Cortez "C-Rod" Thomas, the man who allegedly helped facilitate T.I.'s attempted illegal firearm purchase in October 2007, which led to the MC's prison term. Thomas, according to records, allegedly assisted T.I. by transferring a wealth of cash to the rapper's bodyguard. The bodyguard was later set up by federal officials and agreed to participate in a sting against the Atlanta MC.

Thomas was never charged in the incident, but he is named, and information regarding his past is included in material related to T.I.'s original case. Thomas' rap sheet includes drug charges and claims of physical intimidation; earlier this year, he was convicted on felony drugs and weapon charges and received 15 years' probation.

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