Richland County Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Gun

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Carlos Antwon Lewis, 46, of Columbia, has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on March 4, 2025, a Richland County Sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on an SUV and contacted the driver. Lewis was the front passenger. The deputy smelled the odor of marijuana, which the occupants admitted to smoking before leaving their residence. The deputy asked both occupants to step out and asked Lewis if he had any firearms or narcotics on his person. Lewis admitted that he had a firearm, and the deputy recovered a loaded 9mm pistol from his waistband.

Lewis is prohibited from possessing a firearm based upon prior convictions for arson, burglary, criminal domestic violence, unlawful carrying of a firearm, possession of less than one gram of methamphetamine or cocaine base, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance near a school, and distribution of methamphetamine or cocaine base.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Lewis to 57 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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