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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Rapper T.I. was arrested Saturday as he allegedly tried to add three machine guns and two silencers to what authorities said was an "arsenal" of weapons that, as a convicted felon, he was not allowed to own.
The entertainer, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested without incident in midtown Atlanta, Georgia.
The entertainer, 27, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was taken into custody about 2:30 p.m. in Atlanta as he accepted delivery of the guns and silencers, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
Three other guns were found in the vehicle he was driving, authorities said, and police executing a search warrant at his home in suburban College Park, Georgia, found six additional guns, five of them loaded, in his bedroom closet.
"Machine guns pose a serious danger to the community, which is why they are so carefully regulated, said David Nahmias, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
"The last place machine guns should be is in the hands of a convicted felon, who cannot legally possess any kind of firearm. This convicted felon allegedly was trying to add several machine guns to an already large and entirely illegal arsenal of guns." Video See video of a search of the rapper's home »
The arrest came as a result of the cooperation of a witness who, after being arrested Wednesday, agreed to cooperate with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the DOJ statement said.
The witness was arrested after he purchased the three machine guns and two silencers from an undercover ATF agent.
The guns were not registered on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law, and the witness -- who was worked as a bodyguard for Harris since July -- told authorities he was purchasing them for Harris, and had bought about nine guns for him previously, the statement said.
On Wednesday, authorities said, Harris arranged for the witness to pick up $12,000 in cash from a bank to use in buying the guns. After being arrested and agreeing to cooperate with ATF, the witness had a series of phone calls with Harris, which authorities recorded, the statement said.
It was arranged that Harris would pick up the guns after meeting the witness in a shopping center parking lot in midtown Atlanta. The arrest took place there without incident, the DOJ statement said.
Police searched Harris' car and found three other guns, authorities said, "including one loaded gun tucked between the driver's seat where Harris had been sitting and the center console."
Court documents in the case show that Harris was convicted on felony drug charges in Cobb County, Georgia, in 1998 and sentenced to seven years' probation. "Harris has additional arrests and at least one probation violation for unlawfully possessing firearms," according to an affidavit.
Harris has dubbed himself the "King of the South." His music is built around the drug culture and is known as "trap music," or music to listen to while using drugs.
Harris will be held in federal custody over the weekend and will apepar Monday before a magistrate judge, the DOJ statement said.
The entertainer, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested without incident in midtown Atlanta, Georgia.
The entertainer, 27, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was taken into custody about 2:30 p.m. in Atlanta as he accepted delivery of the guns and silencers, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
Three other guns were found in the vehicle he was driving, authorities said, and police executing a search warrant at his home in suburban College Park, Georgia, found six additional guns, five of them loaded, in his bedroom closet.
"Machine guns pose a serious danger to the community, which is why they are so carefully regulated, said David Nahmias, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
"The last place machine guns should be is in the hands of a convicted felon, who cannot legally possess any kind of firearm. This convicted felon allegedly was trying to add several machine guns to an already large and entirely illegal arsenal of guns." Video See video of a search of the rapper's home »
The arrest came as a result of the cooperation of a witness who, after being arrested Wednesday, agreed to cooperate with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the DOJ statement said.
The witness was arrested after he purchased the three machine guns and two silencers from an undercover ATF agent.
The guns were not registered on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law, and the witness -- who was worked as a bodyguard for Harris since July -- told authorities he was purchasing them for Harris, and had bought about nine guns for him previously, the statement said.
On Wednesday, authorities said, Harris arranged for the witness to pick up $12,000 in cash from a bank to use in buying the guns. After being arrested and agreeing to cooperate with ATF, the witness had a series of phone calls with Harris, which authorities recorded, the statement said.
It was arranged that Harris would pick up the guns after meeting the witness in a shopping center parking lot in midtown Atlanta. The arrest took place there without incident, the DOJ statement said.
Police searched Harris' car and found three other guns, authorities said, "including one loaded gun tucked between the driver's seat where Harris had been sitting and the center console."
Court documents in the case show that Harris was convicted on felony drug charges in Cobb County, Georgia, in 1998 and sentenced to seven years' probation. "Harris has additional arrests and at least one probation violation for unlawfully possessing firearms," according to an affidavit.
Harris has dubbed himself the "King of the South." His music is built around the drug culture and is known as "trap music," or music to listen to while using drugs.
Harris will be held in federal custody over the weekend and will apepar Monday before a magistrate judge, the DOJ statement said.
