An accomplice in the killing of T.I.’s assistant and close childhood friend Philant “Big Phil” Johnson was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Wednesday (June 23) on separate drug conspiracy and gun charges, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Padron Thomas was the driver of the car from which his brother Hosea Thomas fired the fatal shots at T.I.’s entourage on May 3, 2006, resulting in Johnson’s murder. He made headlines back in December 2008 when he cooperated with authorities to indict his brother in the killing, in exchange for a lighter sentence.

However, with a previous 14-year bid for rape and robbery already on his rap sheet, Padron was unable to avoid significant prison time related to marijuana trafficking between California and Cincinnati. He will now serve his sentence related to the Big Phil case concurrently with Wednesday's ruling.

Hosea on the other hand received a sentence of 66 years behind bars. -Devin Chanda

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