T.I. pleads not guilty to weapons charges

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I. pleaded not guilty to a trio of illegal weapons charges on Friday and a judge ordered him detained for another week.

Federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested the rapper in Atlanta on Saturday, the day he was due to have starred at the BET hip hop awards. He had been nominated for nine awards, more than any other artist, and won two.

They said the arrest came as he took delivery of three machine guns and two silencers that a bodyguard purchased on his behalf.

T.I., born Clifford Harris, was convicted of a drug offense in 1998 and is prohibited from owning or buying firearms.

In a court hearing on Friday T.I.'s lawyers asked to have him released on a $2.2 million bond, plus around $1.5 million in equity on two homes.

Judge Alan Baverman said he would consider releasing him on bond but ordered the rapper detained pending a hearing next Friday. He said he wanted to know more about who the defense team proposed to watch T.I.

Defense lawyers said the bond would be subject to a series of conditions including electronic monitoring, home confinement and random searches and they offered to pay for a security official to monitor T.I. round the clock with the government's consent.

"The conditions are so severe, so stringent ... he will effectively be in a private jail in his house," T.I. lawyer Ed Garland told the court.

The defense team introduced executives from Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group as well as around 30 members of T.I.'s family and said five Atlantic executives would each be willing to post a $100,000 signature bond.

"The characteristics of Mr. Harris in large part are noteworthy and commendable," Baverman said, citing evidence presented of talks T.I. gave to schoolchildren and his extensive record of community giving.

However, he said, "I am really, really concerned about that sort of dichotomy -- somebody who has so many gifts and risks it all by showing up at a gun deal."

T.I. spent two weeks at No. 1 on U.S. pop charts this summer with his album "T.I. vs T.I.P.," his second chart-topper in 18 months.

The album sold 468,000 units in its first week, making it one of the biggest debuts of the year and tied for CD of the year at the October 13 awards. He also won best ring tone.

The 27-year-old Atlanta native, who won two Grammy awards in February and was nominated for two others, is also co-chief executive of Grand Hustle Records.