I love gossip as I know many of you share the same interest. I dare not say I would be the first to know but as soon as I know I will be sure to tell in this blog. It certainly draws my attention to know about hollywood stars, the rich and famous and the music icons.
Since I was young I would always be the person my friends would approach to find out the latest news with friends. I gues you could call me the gossip queen. But anyway I hope you find these blogs interesting.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Two Alleged O.J. Accomplices tell more
by Natalie FinnMon, 15 Oct 2007 01:33:08 PM PDT
Turns out two of O.J. Simpson's Las Vegas acquaintances aren't gambling men.
Simpson golfing buddy Walter Alexander and Charles Cashmore, a part-time disc jockey, appeared in a Sin City courtroom Monday to tell the judge they would accept plea deals and turn state's evidence against the former football star and his alleged accomplices.
Alexander and Cashmore are accused of being part of the four-man posse that accompanied Simpson to the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Vegas on Sept. 13 to put the squeeze on memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley.
Standing before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure Jr., Alexander, 46, announced he would plead guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit robbery.
But his plea bargain marks a 180 since the days immediately following the arrest, when Alexander told Good Morning America Simpson believed the memorabilia to be his and the Naked Gun actor might have been duped into the purported holdup.
"It sounds like a setup to me," Alexander said at the time. "I just happened to get caught up in a bad situation."
Meanwhile, as his lawyer signaled on Friday, Cashmore, a 40-year-old Vegas resident with a prior record, said he would plead guilty to being an accessory to robbery, a felony.
"He can establish who was in the room, what was said, who had guns, who didn't have guns, potentially who may have seen guns, who didn't see guns," Cashmore's lawyer Edward Miley said outside court. "I think he wishes he would have never met O.J."
While Alexander's attorney didn't specify the nature of his client's testimony, Miley said that what the Mesa, Arizona, man had to say could clarify Simpson's role in the incident.
"What Mr. Alexander, I'm assuming, will be able to say is who told them to bring firearms, what planning there was, and what was said and done after the fact," Miley said.
Simpson and his lawyers have denied guns were in the room. His lawyers have not commented on Monday's turn of events.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Cashmore apologized to his friends and family and said he was doing the right thing by turning on Simpson. Alexander and Cashmore both waived their preliminary hearings and are due back in court Oct. 23.
Alexander faces up to six years in prison, while Cashmore is looking at a maximum of five—still, that's a far cry from the possible life-in-lockup punishment that comes with the nine felonies and one gross misdemeanor all the codefendants were originally facing, counts that include armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, assault with a weapon and conspiracy.
Still sitting in Simpson's boat are Mike McClinton, Charles Erlich and Clarence Stewart, the last of whom has pleaded not guilty on all counts. Reputed ringleader Simpson is also facing an additional felony charge.
A preliminary hearing has been set in Clark County Justice Court for Nov. 8-9, at which point prosecutors will present evidence against Simpson and cohorts and Bonaventure will decide whether the case will proceed to trial.
Miley said that Cashmore "was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," and met Simpson and the others for the first time just minutes before the purported shakedown.
The attorney also said that Cashmore will name Alexander and McClinton as the guys who were packing heat.
Simpson, who's scheduled to be arraigned later this month, has maintained he was only in that hotel room to take back collectibles that had been stolen from him by a former agent after his 1995 murder trial. No guns were involved, his lawyers have said.
Alexander's lawyer said Monday that he doubted Cashmore could prove his client was armed. There was no immediate comment from McClinton's attorney.
When he surrendered to police, Cashmore handed over some of the items taken from Fromong and Beardsley. Cashmore's cache included a number of autographed footballs and baseballs, but none of the more high-profile stuff, such as the suit he was wearing the day he was acquitted of murder, that Simpson was reportedly looking for.
Cashmore was sentenced to probation in 1996 for his role in a check embezzlement scheme.
Alexander, meanwhile, was arrested in Los Angeles in 1987 for kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon, but the charges were dismissed.
Turns out two of O.J. Simpson's Las Vegas acquaintances aren't gambling men.
Simpson golfing buddy Walter Alexander and Charles Cashmore, a part-time disc jockey, appeared in a Sin City courtroom Monday to tell the judge they would accept plea deals and turn state's evidence against the former football star and his alleged accomplices.
Alexander and Cashmore are accused of being part of the four-man posse that accompanied Simpson to the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Vegas on Sept. 13 to put the squeeze on memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley.
Standing before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure Jr., Alexander, 46, announced he would plead guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit robbery.
But his plea bargain marks a 180 since the days immediately following the arrest, when Alexander told Good Morning America Simpson believed the memorabilia to be his and the Naked Gun actor might have been duped into the purported holdup.
"It sounds like a setup to me," Alexander said at the time. "I just happened to get caught up in a bad situation."
Meanwhile, as his lawyer signaled on Friday, Cashmore, a 40-year-old Vegas resident with a prior record, said he would plead guilty to being an accessory to robbery, a felony.
"He can establish who was in the room, what was said, who had guns, who didn't have guns, potentially who may have seen guns, who didn't see guns," Cashmore's lawyer Edward Miley said outside court. "I think he wishes he would have never met O.J."
While Alexander's attorney didn't specify the nature of his client's testimony, Miley said that what the Mesa, Arizona, man had to say could clarify Simpson's role in the incident.
"What Mr. Alexander, I'm assuming, will be able to say is who told them to bring firearms, what planning there was, and what was said and done after the fact," Miley said.
Simpson and his lawyers have denied guns were in the room. His lawyers have not commented on Monday's turn of events.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Cashmore apologized to his friends and family and said he was doing the right thing by turning on Simpson. Alexander and Cashmore both waived their preliminary hearings and are due back in court Oct. 23.
Alexander faces up to six years in prison, while Cashmore is looking at a maximum of five—still, that's a far cry from the possible life-in-lockup punishment that comes with the nine felonies and one gross misdemeanor all the codefendants were originally facing, counts that include armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, assault with a weapon and conspiracy.
Still sitting in Simpson's boat are Mike McClinton, Charles Erlich and Clarence Stewart, the last of whom has pleaded not guilty on all counts. Reputed ringleader Simpson is also facing an additional felony charge.
A preliminary hearing has been set in Clark County Justice Court for Nov. 8-9, at which point prosecutors will present evidence against Simpson and cohorts and Bonaventure will decide whether the case will proceed to trial.
Miley said that Cashmore "was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," and met Simpson and the others for the first time just minutes before the purported shakedown.
The attorney also said that Cashmore will name Alexander and McClinton as the guys who were packing heat.
Simpson, who's scheduled to be arraigned later this month, has maintained he was only in that hotel room to take back collectibles that had been stolen from him by a former agent after his 1995 murder trial. No guns were involved, his lawyers have said.
Alexander's lawyer said Monday that he doubted Cashmore could prove his client was armed. There was no immediate comment from McClinton's attorney.
When he surrendered to police, Cashmore handed over some of the items taken from Fromong and Beardsley. Cashmore's cache included a number of autographed footballs and baseballs, but none of the more high-profile stuff, such as the suit he was wearing the day he was acquitted of murder, that Simpson was reportedly looking for.
Cashmore was sentenced to probation in 1996 for his role in a check embezzlement scheme.
Alexander, meanwhile, was arrested in Los Angeles in 1987 for kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon, but the charges were dismissed.
J LO about to debut twins?
by Sarah HallWed, 10 Oct 2007 11:36:42 AM PDT
Jennifer Lopez is "happy." Life is "great." It's been a "special year." Fine, but is she pregnant?
Yes, according to numerous published reports, some of which even claim the multihyphenate diva is expecting twins.
Last week, both OK! magazine and TMZ came out with "exclusives" on the singer's pregnancy, following days of similar headlines in the New York Post and other tabloids, while Us Weekly followed suit Wednesday with a cover story on Lopez's forthcoming bundle of joy.
"It's a dream come true," a source told the magazine. "She and Marc are over the moon."
Even Anthony's ex, Dayanara Torres, was drawn into the is-she-or-isn't-she fracas, when she was asked by a reporter for the Spanish-language daily El Nuevo Dia whether her children were happy about their half-brother or -sister to be.
"They don't know yet, as I barely found out yesterday. But I suppose they're going to be very happy, because when my sister had her kid they were," Torres replied.
However, Torres later clarified that she had no official confirmation of the pregnancy but was merely aware of the reports.
"I had been advised of pregnancy 'rumors' by my manager, who wanted to make sure I was aware in case my children heard anything at school that I may need to address; so when I was approached by a reporter who stated as fact that my children were to have a new sibling soon, I assumed that this had been confirmed," she said.
So far, Lopez herself has managed to remain publicly mum on her purported baby bulge, while her rep has declined to comment on the situation.
But that doesn't mean Lopez isn't having fun with the speculation.
During a Sunday concert with Anthony at Madison Square Garden—her hometown venue where OK! claimed she would make her big reveal—Anthony told the crowd, "I missed you guys. This is a special night for us on so many levels."
After nearly 90 minutes, Lopez appeared, sang a few songs, including her new single, "Do It Well" and then addressed the audience and her husband.
"How amazing is Marc?" she said, pausing for dramatic effect. "This is a really special night for us...This is my first tour ever! It's been a really special year."
Of course, it's possible that fashion speaks louder than words, at least in her case. During the tour, Lopez has notably eschewed her tight-fitting, abs-bearing outfits of the past, opting instead for loose, flowing garments styled by Roberto Cavalli.
"I used a lot of stretch fabrics," the designer told People of putting together the wardrobe.
With her just released album, Brave, failing to make much of a ripple, Lopez may be trying to capitalize on the publicity her unannounced pregnancy is generating, in the hopes of bumping up her CD sales.
However, with all the focus on her midriff, it seems the public is having a tough time concentrating on anything else.
During a Good Morning America interview with Lopez Tuesday, Diane Sawyer skirted the question on everyone's mind, opting instead to play it vague.
"All right, all right, I know what everybody's asking, and I know you have so little privacy in your life…so, I'm just going to say, How are you?" Sawyer asked.
"I'm very well, thank you. This is really, really a great, happy time in my life," Lopez answered.
Later the same day, David Letterman also avoided asking Lopez about her rumored pregnancy, sticking to general questions about family and the challenges of parenting.
"The idea of having a family is daunting, isn't it?" he teased.
"Yeah, it is," Lopez said.
If reports can be believed, the singer has only about five months to go before that idea becomes a reality.
Spears goes to court for Kids
by Gina SerpeThu, 11 Oct 2007 03:22:41 PM PDT
The personal touch seems to have paid off for Britney Spears. She'll be spending a little more time with her kids.
After making her first appearance in court in her long-playing divorce and custody saga, the "Gimme More" singer is allowed to have her children spend the night with her once a week, as long as they were accompanied by a court-sanctioned monitor. (View the order.)
Spears' attorney had filed an emergency motion Wednesday seeking to expand the singer's visitation rights. Spears was hoping her recently reconciled mother, Lynne, would serve as chaperone instead of a judge-appointed supervisor.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, the lawyer for Kevin Federline, said he "voluntarily agreed" to allow the elongated visit but declined to offer any other specifics.
Spears was obviously displeased by the decision and left the courthouse in tears without commenting to the press.
Her in-person appeal came two hours after the commissioner overseeing the case initially refused to alter the custody arrangements.
The 25-year-old, sipping a Coke and accompanied by her new assistant, arrived at the courthouse in her convertible Mercedes with light-up pumpkin string lights on the dashboard and was immediately surrounded by a dozen sheriff's deputies.
"I'm fine, thank you," she told reporters, as she put down her beverage and stepped into the courtroom wearing jeans, a black satin top, a gold chain, sunglasses and, presumably, panties. Flanked by her lawyers, she was sworn in by Los Angeles Court Commissioner Scott Gordon.
Asked to state her name, Spears replied, "Britney." The commissioner said, "Full name," and she responded, "Britney Spears."
She was allowed to keep her sunglasses on. "I understand you have a medical condition," said Gordon without elaboration. (Spears is reportedly suffering from conjunctivitis, aka pinkeye.)
He then closed the hearing to the public.
Spears spent an hour answering the judge's questions, before ducking down a back staircase and leaving the premises in her white Mercedes convertible.
Gordon apparently had a change of heart after the meet-and-greet with Spears. Earlier Thursday, he dismissed both legal teams without adjusting the visitation terms. He said he wanted to allow attorneys more time to discuss any proposed modifications.
"I don't see the emergency...here," Gordon said.
"I do think it is an emergency for them not to have overnights with their mother, which they've always had," argued Spears' attorney, Anne Kiley. She claimed the current visitation schedule was "disruptive" to Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears had to wake them from naps at the end of their visits, which typically wrap up midafternoon.
Gordon, however, claimed it was Spears' own behavior that was really disruptive.
"If a person's dealing with challenges, and those challenges, including substance issues and emotional issues...some of the behaviors that accompany those challenges can have a devastating impact," said Gordon, who has yet to get confirmation of Spears' passed drug tests. "It has disintegrated from there because of choices made by your client."
Gordon, who had earlier deemed Spears a "habitual, frequent and continuous user" of alcohol and controlled substances, temporarily stripped her of custody last week after she failed to abide by his terms, including submitting to random drug testing and showing proof of a California driver's license.
Since then, Spears has passed both her driver's license exam and two drug tests and was banking on that to expand her visitation rights.
But that wasn't enough to sway Kaplan. "If she could remedy all of those problems...in one week, that would be a miracle," he told the court.
Under Gordon's current order, Spears is required to have a monitor with her at all times when she is in the presence of her sons. Should the handler determine that any behavior Spears exhibits endanger her children or be simply inappropriate, her visits may be cut short.
Before the hearing, Federline's legal point man said Spears just didn't get it.
"The fact that a party, one week after a full court hearing, attempts to change the orders of the court, in the absence of an emergency or without any new facts, suggests a continued lack of respect and understanding for what an order of the court actually means," he told E! News.
While Kaplan said from the outset that Federline, 29, wouldn't show for the hearing, Spears signaled she would be present this morning to prove how serious she was. However, as the proceedings began, the court's public information officer announced she would be MIA, after getting word from Kiley, who blamed the enormous amount of media attention on the event as the reason for Spears' no-show.
"Nobody should have even known about this hearing today," the attorney told Gordon. "Very, very few people in our office even knew we were appearing."
Spears apparently changed her mind when Gordon failed to act on her motion.
The next hearing is set for Oct. 26.
While the custody drama played out in court, more of Spears' antics were being showcased online.
Raw footage of the singer's "Gimme More" comeback music video appeared on YouTube, showcasing Spears in pasties and not much else.
In the official version of the video, Spears, donning a blond wig, arrives at a strip club with friends. The pole dancer the group watches is none other than Spears herself, this time in a black wig.
In this version, Spears is seen removing her top and covering herself with her hands while dancing around. In the alternate version circulating online, well, her hands aren't quite big enough to maintain her modesty.
Also on Wednesday, hours after filing the petition with the court, Spears engaged in something of a throwback antic, exiting a paparazzi-surrounded car without the appearance of underwear.
The personal touch seems to have paid off for Britney Spears. She'll be spending a little more time with her kids.
After making her first appearance in court in her long-playing divorce and custody saga, the "Gimme More" singer is allowed to have her children spend the night with her once a week, as long as they were accompanied by a court-sanctioned monitor. (View the order.)
Spears' attorney had filed an emergency motion Wednesday seeking to expand the singer's visitation rights. Spears was hoping her recently reconciled mother, Lynne, would serve as chaperone instead of a judge-appointed supervisor.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, the lawyer for Kevin Federline, said he "voluntarily agreed" to allow the elongated visit but declined to offer any other specifics.
Spears was obviously displeased by the decision and left the courthouse in tears without commenting to the press.
Her in-person appeal came two hours after the commissioner overseeing the case initially refused to alter the custody arrangements.
The 25-year-old, sipping a Coke and accompanied by her new assistant, arrived at the courthouse in her convertible Mercedes with light-up pumpkin string lights on the dashboard and was immediately surrounded by a dozen sheriff's deputies.
"I'm fine, thank you," she told reporters, as she put down her beverage and stepped into the courtroom wearing jeans, a black satin top, a gold chain, sunglasses and, presumably, panties. Flanked by her lawyers, she was sworn in by Los Angeles Court Commissioner Scott Gordon.
Asked to state her name, Spears replied, "Britney." The commissioner said, "Full name," and she responded, "Britney Spears."
She was allowed to keep her sunglasses on. "I understand you have a medical condition," said Gordon without elaboration. (Spears is reportedly suffering from conjunctivitis, aka pinkeye.)
He then closed the hearing to the public.
Spears spent an hour answering the judge's questions, before ducking down a back staircase and leaving the premises in her white Mercedes convertible.
Gordon apparently had a change of heart after the meet-and-greet with Spears. Earlier Thursday, he dismissed both legal teams without adjusting the visitation terms. He said he wanted to allow attorneys more time to discuss any proposed modifications.
"I don't see the emergency...here," Gordon said.
"I do think it is an emergency for them not to have overnights with their mother, which they've always had," argued Spears' attorney, Anne Kiley. She claimed the current visitation schedule was "disruptive" to Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears had to wake them from naps at the end of their visits, which typically wrap up midafternoon.
Gordon, however, claimed it was Spears' own behavior that was really disruptive.
"If a person's dealing with challenges, and those challenges, including substance issues and emotional issues...some of the behaviors that accompany those challenges can have a devastating impact," said Gordon, who has yet to get confirmation of Spears' passed drug tests. "It has disintegrated from there because of choices made by your client."
Gordon, who had earlier deemed Spears a "habitual, frequent and continuous user" of alcohol and controlled substances, temporarily stripped her of custody last week after she failed to abide by his terms, including submitting to random drug testing and showing proof of a California driver's license.
Since then, Spears has passed both her driver's license exam and two drug tests and was banking on that to expand her visitation rights.
But that wasn't enough to sway Kaplan. "If she could remedy all of those problems...in one week, that would be a miracle," he told the court.
Under Gordon's current order, Spears is required to have a monitor with her at all times when she is in the presence of her sons. Should the handler determine that any behavior Spears exhibits endanger her children or be simply inappropriate, her visits may be cut short.
Before the hearing, Federline's legal point man said Spears just didn't get it.
"The fact that a party, one week after a full court hearing, attempts to change the orders of the court, in the absence of an emergency or without any new facts, suggests a continued lack of respect and understanding for what an order of the court actually means," he told E! News.
While Kaplan said from the outset that Federline, 29, wouldn't show for the hearing, Spears signaled she would be present this morning to prove how serious she was. However, as the proceedings began, the court's public information officer announced she would be MIA, after getting word from Kiley, who blamed the enormous amount of media attention on the event as the reason for Spears' no-show.
"Nobody should have even known about this hearing today," the attorney told Gordon. "Very, very few people in our office even knew we were appearing."
Spears apparently changed her mind when Gordon failed to act on her motion.
The next hearing is set for Oct. 26.
While the custody drama played out in court, more of Spears' antics were being showcased online.
Raw footage of the singer's "Gimme More" comeback music video appeared on YouTube, showcasing Spears in pasties and not much else.
In the official version of the video, Spears, donning a blond wig, arrives at a strip club with friends. The pole dancer the group watches is none other than Spears herself, this time in a black wig.
In this version, Spears is seen removing her top and covering herself with her hands while dancing around. In the alternate version circulating online, well, her hands aren't quite big enough to maintain her modesty.
Also on Wednesday, hours after filing the petition with the court, Spears engaged in something of a throwback antic, exiting a paparazzi-surrounded car without the appearance of underwear.
T.I is now appearing in Jail
by Gina SerpeMon, 15 Oct 2007 01:15:35 PM PDT
The King of the South has been temporarily dethroned...though that may be the least of his worries.
T.I. remains jailed after being arrested on several weapons-related charges Saturday, just hours before he was set to take the stage and, ultimately, win two pieces of hardware at the BET Hip-Hop Awards.
The 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, briefly appeared Monday in court, where prosecutors expressed a desire to keep him in custody on the weapons charges indefinitely while the case proceeds. But his attorneys, who claim T.I. is an innocent victim of the government's rush to justice, will argue for his release at a bond hearing scheduled to take place this Friday.
The double Grammy winner was busted in the parking lot of a shopping center not far from the awards show's Atlanta venue, collared by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after picking up three machine guns, two silencers and a pistol from an undercover ATF officer, which, per the feds, his bodyguard had purchased on his behalf.
T.I. was previously convicted on drug violations back in 1998 and given seven years' probation, and he later was busted on gun-related charges. It's a federal offense for a convicted felon to have someone purchase firearms on their behalf.
"The last place machine guns should be is in the hands of a convicted felon, who cannot legally possess any kind of firearm," said David E. Nahmias, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. "This convicted felon allegedly was trying to add several machine guns to an already large and entirely illegal arsenal of guns.
"Thanks to the good and quick work of ATF, he is now in custody, and his firearms have been seized."
The Atlanta native, who was up for a leading nine awards from the hip-hop ceremony Saturday, was arrested as the result of a nearly two-week undercover operation that began on Oct. 2, when ATF agents learned an individual later identified as the rapper's bodyguard was seeking to buy guns without registering them.
Last Wednesday, the bodyguard was arrested after picking up $12,000 from a bank and attempting to fork it over for three machine guns, two silencers and a pistol, the same arsenal T.I. was attempting to pick up on Saturday afternoon. After getting caught, the bodyguard agreed to cooperate with authorities in their sting.
The bodyguard phoned T.I., a conversation that ATF officials recorded, and arranged for the rapper to pick up the guns himself over the weekend. He was arrested in the shopping center's parking lot without incident.
Following the arrest, ATF agents searched T.I.'s nearby College Park home and allegedly discovered six additional firearms, five of them loaded, in a bedroom closet. Three more guns, one of which was loaded, were found in the vehicle the rapper was driving that day. It's unclear if any of those guns had been registered.
Prosectuors say the chart-topping T.I. vs. T.I.P. rapper "now faces serious federal charges and a potentially long prison sentence.
But one of his legal crew says authorities were too quick to point the finger at his client.
Attorney Dwight Thomas said "a number of people" live in the home ATF searched on Saturday and that there were "two sides to every story—sometimes three."
The main story at the BETs, however, was the notable absence of the rapper, whose presence, in spirit, was nonetheless acknowledged.
Common, who wound up sharing the CD of the Year award with his beleaguered colleague, offered some support in his acceptance speech.
"I salute my guy T.I., who also won, wherever he is," Common said from the podium.
Wyclef Jean, who was due to perform alongside T.I. on the rapper's hit "You Know What It Is," instead went solo...almost. Doing his best to fill in and earn a few laughs, host Katt Williams got all dolled up in his most believable T.I. gear and took to the stage during the song, attempting to impersonate the MIA rapper.
The chart-topping rapper's absence was also felt during another would-be performance, this time with Alfamega and Busta Rhymes for "Hurt," in which T.I. would have joined them.
But the rapper's absence wasn't the only anomaly of the evening.
The poster child of healthy egos, Kanye West, was on hand to collect the evening's award for Best Hip-Hop Video, only to become momentarily humbled by the honor.
"I didn't deserve this award above them," he said, referring to UGK featuring OutKast's "International Players," one of the category's fellow nominees. West then handed the trophy over to OutKast's Big Boi, who quickly gave it back.
"You worked too hard for this," he told West. "No, you deserve it."
West, Common and T.I. each took home a leading two awards from the show.
An edited version of the ceremony will air this Wednesday on BET.
The King of the South has been temporarily dethroned...though that may be the least of his worries.
T.I. remains jailed after being arrested on several weapons-related charges Saturday, just hours before he was set to take the stage and, ultimately, win two pieces of hardware at the BET Hip-Hop Awards.
The 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, briefly appeared Monday in court, where prosecutors expressed a desire to keep him in custody on the weapons charges indefinitely while the case proceeds. But his attorneys, who claim T.I. is an innocent victim of the government's rush to justice, will argue for his release at a bond hearing scheduled to take place this Friday.
The double Grammy winner was busted in the parking lot of a shopping center not far from the awards show's Atlanta venue, collared by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after picking up three machine guns, two silencers and a pistol from an undercover ATF officer, which, per the feds, his bodyguard had purchased on his behalf.
T.I. was previously convicted on drug violations back in 1998 and given seven years' probation, and he later was busted on gun-related charges. It's a federal offense for a convicted felon to have someone purchase firearms on their behalf.
"The last place machine guns should be is in the hands of a convicted felon, who cannot legally possess any kind of firearm," said David E. Nahmias, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. "This convicted felon allegedly was trying to add several machine guns to an already large and entirely illegal arsenal of guns.
"Thanks to the good and quick work of ATF, he is now in custody, and his firearms have been seized."
The Atlanta native, who was up for a leading nine awards from the hip-hop ceremony Saturday, was arrested as the result of a nearly two-week undercover operation that began on Oct. 2, when ATF agents learned an individual later identified as the rapper's bodyguard was seeking to buy guns without registering them.
Last Wednesday, the bodyguard was arrested after picking up $12,000 from a bank and attempting to fork it over for three machine guns, two silencers and a pistol, the same arsenal T.I. was attempting to pick up on Saturday afternoon. After getting caught, the bodyguard agreed to cooperate with authorities in their sting.
The bodyguard phoned T.I., a conversation that ATF officials recorded, and arranged for the rapper to pick up the guns himself over the weekend. He was arrested in the shopping center's parking lot without incident.
Following the arrest, ATF agents searched T.I.'s nearby College Park home and allegedly discovered six additional firearms, five of them loaded, in a bedroom closet. Three more guns, one of which was loaded, were found in the vehicle the rapper was driving that day. It's unclear if any of those guns had been registered.
Prosectuors say the chart-topping T.I. vs. T.I.P. rapper "now faces serious federal charges and a potentially long prison sentence.
But one of his legal crew says authorities were too quick to point the finger at his client.
Attorney Dwight Thomas said "a number of people" live in the home ATF searched on Saturday and that there were "two sides to every story—sometimes three."
The main story at the BETs, however, was the notable absence of the rapper, whose presence, in spirit, was nonetheless acknowledged.
Common, who wound up sharing the CD of the Year award with his beleaguered colleague, offered some support in his acceptance speech.
"I salute my guy T.I., who also won, wherever he is," Common said from the podium.
Wyclef Jean, who was due to perform alongside T.I. on the rapper's hit "You Know What It Is," instead went solo...almost. Doing his best to fill in and earn a few laughs, host Katt Williams got all dolled up in his most believable T.I. gear and took to the stage during the song, attempting to impersonate the MIA rapper.
The chart-topping rapper's absence was also felt during another would-be performance, this time with Alfamega and Busta Rhymes for "Hurt," in which T.I. would have joined them.
But the rapper's absence wasn't the only anomaly of the evening.
The poster child of healthy egos, Kanye West, was on hand to collect the evening's award for Best Hip-Hop Video, only to become momentarily humbled by the honor.
"I didn't deserve this award above them," he said, referring to UGK featuring OutKast's "International Players," one of the category's fellow nominees. West then handed the trophy over to OutKast's Big Boi, who quickly gave it back.
"You worked too hard for this," he told West. "No, you deserve it."
West, Common and T.I. each took home a leading two awards from the show.
An edited version of the ceremony will air this Wednesday on BET.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
