Meth And Gun Possession Lands Sonora Man In Jail

Published Jun 16, 2026 7:59 am

Items confiscated during arrest in Columbia - TCSO Image

Columbia, CA — A 31-year-old Sonora man was taken into custody recently when the Tuolumne Narcotics Team did a proactive narcotics enforcement effort in the Columbia area.

The sheriff’s office reports that Thomas Paul Smith Jr. was initially detained due to having an active warrant for methamphetamine possession. When located, officials state that Smith admitted to having a loaded Smith and Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic firearm in his jeans pocket and two grams of meth in his coin pocket.

Smith was transported to the Dambacher Detention Center and booked for possessing a concealed firearm, possession of a loaded firearm in a public place, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm.