Columbus gang member draws five years in prison for illegal weapons, feds say

A Columbus man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Dec. 7 of last year according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOJ said Bernard Shaw, age 23, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on Dec. 7, 2022. There is no parole in the federal system.

The DOJ said Shaw is a confirmed member of the Zohannon criminal street gang in Columbus.

“Armed repeat criminals caught with guns in Columbus are facing federal prosecution—where the penalties include prison time without parole,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary in the release. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is acutely aware of the pressing violent crime problems plaguing the Columbus community; alongside our law enforcement partners, we are tirelessly working to prevent more shooting deaths and reduce violent crime.”

The charges are from two separate incidents in 2022 in which a gun belonging to Shaw was found by law enforcement.

The first incident occurred on April 24, 2022, when Columbus Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop. Shaw, a passenger in the vehicle, got out of the car and fled the scene. Officers then found a book bag containing a semi-automatic pistol in the passenger seat belonging to Shaw, according to the release.

The second incident occurred on July 22, 2022, when Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office deputies and FBI agents arrested Shaw and found a semi-automatic rifle belonging to Shaw, according to the release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams is prosecuting the case for the government, according to the DOJ.

This story was originally published April 17, 2023 at 12:04 PM.