Padron Thomas testified against his brother in exchange for lesser charges.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Philant Johnson and T.I. in 2004
Photo: Ray Tamarra/ Getty Images
An Ohio man pleaded guilty to manslaughter and other charges as an accomplice in the 2006 slaying of a T.I. associate, according to The Associated Press.
Padron Thomas, 41, struck a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to testify against his younger brother, Hosea Thomas, the shooter, in exchange for lesser charges. The elder Thomas was originally facing a murder rap, but after pleading guilty, he will now be sentenced for manslaughter instead.
Thomas drove the car that was involved in the May 2006 shooting that killed Philant Johnson and injured three others. Thomas and his brother were in a skirmish with T.I. and his entourage after the rapper performed in Cincinnati and partied afterward at a local nightclub. The Atlanta superstar directed his crew to leave the venue in the wake of the scuffle, but a group of men followed them and began firing shots at the vehicles carrying the rapper and his camp.
Hosea Thomas was later found guilty of murder and several counts of assault and sentenced to 66 years in prison.
His fate was sealed via damaging testimony from Padron. It was the second time Hosea was sent to jail for publicly firing a gun. The first time occurred nearly 15 years ago in 1992, when Thomas shot wildly into a crowd during a bar fight and wounded a pregnant woman. The woman testified against Thomas after giving birth prematurely as a result of her injuries. He spent eight years in prison for the incident.
Padron Thomas is scheduled for sentencing in his case November 17. He is already serving 17 years in federal prison on separate drug charges. Thomas is expected to be sentenced to 10 years as part of his plea deal.
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