Columbia man convicted in federal court for heroin

A Columbia man was convicted by a federal jury Thursday of his role in a heroin distribution conspiracy.

55-year-old Clifford Lake was found guilty of drug-trafficking in Boone County from September through October 2013.

Two others, 50-year-old Ravid Smith and 27-year-old Lemont Livingston, were co-defendants in the case and pleaded guilty to heroin distribution.

Evidence revealed Lake traveled with Smith and Livingston to Chicago to get the drugs, and sold them to others.

In January 2013, Columbia Police learned Livingston was getting heroin from St. Louis and selling it in Columbia. They later learned he was being assisted by Smith and Lake. A cooperating source was able to make a buy from Smith on September 24, where Livingston and Lake were both present.

On October 28, police searched Livingston’s home and found 196 grams of heroin in a backpack in his car.

Inside the home, officers found Lake inside, along with digital scales, cutting materials, and a handgun.

Lake is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison without parole, up to 20 years. He also faces a fine up to $1 million.

Smith and Livingston face up to 5 years in prison without parole, up to 40 years. They also each face a fine up to $5 million.