T.I.: Begins 366-day prison sentence

T.I.: Begins 366-day prison sentence

Grammy Award-winning American rapper T.I. entered an Arkansas federal prison on Tuesday, where the rapper will begin to serve a year-and-a-day sentence on a weapons charge.

T.I. entered late in the Forrest City low-security prison. He was to report at 1 p.m., but the deadline passed as guards outside blocked reporters and onlookers from coming near the facility on a rural state highway.

It is not clear if the rapper's late arrival would affect his plea deal with prosecutors.

Linda Thomas, spokeswoman of federal prison, said that T.I. would be known inside by guards as federal prison inmate No. 59458019. Traci Billingsley, another prison spokeswoman, said that the prison had no special protections prepared for him.

Billingsley said, "We treat all our offenders in the same manner".

The 28 year old T.I. was arrested on October 13, 2007. He was charged with two felonies — possession of three unregistered machine guns and two silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. That came after the rapper's best friend was killed following a party in Cincinnati in 2006. The rapper has said the bullets that killed his friend were meant for him. He walked out of the Court on October 26, 2007. The judge required T.I. post a $3 million bond, $2 million in cash and $1 million in equity on property he owns.