Update: Man Involved in Murder of T.I. Associate Pleads Guilty

The driver involved in the murder of T.I.’s close friend and assistant Philant Johnson, pled guilty to manslaughter and other charges in a Cincinnati courtroom yesterday (October 28).

According to the Associated Press, Padron Thomas is now facing 10 years for the crime. The 41-year-old man will officially be sentenced on November 17. He is currently in jail serving a 17 year sentence on separate drug trafficking charges. Both sentences will reportedly run concurrently.

Thomas was originally charged with murder, along with his brother Hosea. He then struck a deal with authorities back in December 2008, agreeing to testify that his brother was the one who pulled the trigger. This led to Hosea getting convicted and sentenced to 66 years last May.

Johnson was murdered on May 3, 2006 in a shootout after a club altercation spilled onto a Cincinnati highway. T.I. and his entourage were in town for a concert. —Elan Mancini