Rapper Petey Pablo -- 3 Years in Prison for Gun Conviction

Rapper Petey Pablo has been sentenced to spend 35 months in federal prison after trying to take a loaded, stolen handgun through a NC airport last year.

Pablo -- famous for hits like "Freek-A-Leek" and "Raise Up" -- had pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm in a North Carolina courtroom.

As TMZ previously reported, officials found the loaded weapon in Pablo's bag when it went through an X-ray machine at the security checkpoint.

An investigation revealed the gun was stolen in a home burglary in Gardena, CA back in 2005.