Cincinnati police have arrested two brothers in the May 2006 killing of Atlanta rapper T.I.'s assistant and childhood friend and the shooting of three others in the Grammy winner's entourage.
Hosea Thomas, 34, and Padron Thomas, 40, who both have extensive criminal records, have been charged with murder and felonious assault for the death of Philant Johnson, 26, and the wounding of the three others.
T.I., born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., narrowly avoided serious injury during the shootout.
Both suspects were arrested this week after a Hamilton County grand jury indicted them on the charges.
Police said the 3 a.m. shooting might have carried over from an earlier squabble at an after-hours party T.I., his entourage and the suspects attended in a Cincinnati-area nightclub called Ritz.
The suspects wanted to get into a VIP area at the party but were not allowed, police said, and at one point one of the suspects was struck in the head with a bottle. At another point that night, the suspects became upset after someone threw money from a stage at the party, police said.
"They took it as disrespectful," Cincinnati Detective Colin Vaughn said of the suspects.
After T.I. and his entourage left the party in two vans, police said, they were followed by two SUVs and gunfire was exchanged between the moving vehicles, killing Johnson and wounding the others.
Vaughn declined to identify what gave police a break in the more than 2-year-old case, saying only that authorities got new information that led to the indictments.
In addition to Johnson's death, the shooting injured T.I.'s bodyguard Ronald Hausley, driver Elijah Edwards and Janice Gillespie.
Both suspects have each been indicted on two counts of murder and seven counts of felonious assault. Hosea Thomas also faces two counts of weapons charges. His brother has also been charged with tampering with evidence.
Hosea Thomas has a history of drug and weapons charges dating back to at least 2001, according to Hamilton County court records, including trafficking in heroin and cocaine and receiving stolen property. His brother, Padron, is listed on Ohio's sex offender registry for rape. Court records show he has also faced drug possession and assault charges.
Hosea Thomas' court appointed public defender, Charles Isaly, declined to comment, saying only that he just got assigned the case Friday morning. Court records did not identify an attorney for Padron Thomas.
Johnson's mother, Alicia Brown, said Cincinnati detectives have been in frequent contact with her during the case, giving her a heads-up days before the indictment was unsealed. She said the detectives even called Friday morning to offer their condolences about her 90-year-old mother, Willie Belle Brown, who died the day before.
Brown said her mother died of natural causes about an hour after Brown called her with the news of the indictments.
"It was almost (as if) she was waiting until she knew that this was going to be resolved before she went on to glory," Alicia Brown said Friday. "And she was a good woman. She lived a full, good 90 years. And though Philant did not get to that glory, I am very happy to know that it looks like justice will be done."
Brown's nephew, Micholous McIver, added that both Brown and T.I. -- who he calls "Tip" -- have been in contact with the Cincinnati authorities.
"Ever since my little brother -- that's what Philant was to me -- was killed, Tip has been looking ... after my family," McIver said. "As large as [Philant] was in life, he was in our hearts. And now, though the hurt remains, we're glad that the wheels of justice are turning and there can be some peace for Philant's mother, his grandmother and Tip."
T.I. faced his own troubles with the law this year. In March, the rapper pleaded guilty to two charges of illegally possessing firearms and another for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
T.I's record label publicist said Friday that T.I. had no comment on the arrests in Johnson's killing.
In his current single "No Matter What," T.I. makes reference to the loss of one of his best friends, and at the beginning of an earlier single, "Live In The Sky", he offers a dedication. One of the two dog chains T.I. wears around his neck has Johnson's name on it. And shortly after his death, he revealed: "I still carry his phone with me. Just keeps him close."
When there were rumbles a few months ago that an arrest in the murder was near, all the usually talkative T.I. would offer was, "If it happens, what will be, will be."
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