Columbia Man Faces At Least 15 Years for Drug, Gun Charges

A Columbia man faces a long prison sentence after pleading guilty Tuesday to federal drug and gun charges.

Gregory Lamont Rawls (aka "G" or "Bobby") pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie will impose a sentence — between 15 years and life — stemming from a Dec. 7, 2011, incident in which the Columbia Police Department Drug Suppression Unit visited Rawls' home on Bronx Road in Northeast Columbia. 

Once inside, officers recovered a quantity of heroin, digital scales, packaging, ammunition, and a fully loaded Taurus .45 caliber firearm, according to a press release.

Rawls is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and/or ammunition based upon his prior state convictions for armed robbery, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, failure to stop for a blue light and siren, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine within the proximity of a school.       

The case was investigated by the Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative.