A man who ran a heavily armed marijuana grow operation inside his central Mountain home pleaded guilty to a string of gun charges that carry a mandatory minimum of three years in prison.

Richard Gravelle, 26, a nephew of convicted drug kingpins, brothers Paul Gravelle and Andre Gravelle, was arrested May 29. Hamilton police forcibly entered his rented Duncombe Drive house with a search warrant and say they seized a cache of prohibited weapons, including an AR-15 fully automatic assault rifle, a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, a Remington rifle and two handguns, along with 2.58 kilograms of processed pot, 299 marijuana plants, hash oil and cocaine residue and $41,000 in cash.

Gravelle pleaded guilty Tuesday to four counts of possessing prohibited firearms and one of possessing a weapon while prohibited by a court order.

Assistant Crown attorney Tony Leitch said the pleas were entered on the weapons offences alone. He said a federal prosecutor would be dealing with other counts under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The prosecutor said he and defence lawyer Alan Gold are not in agreement and he will be pushing for more than the mandatory minimum when the case returns to court for sentencing on Sept. 25.

Earlier this month, Gravelle was released from jail on $85,000 bail pending sentencing.

An agreed statement of facts is expected to be filed in court at the time of sentencing.

Three other people were in the house when police executed the search warrant. Christian Paul Gravelle, 37, and two women, ages 18 and 20, were charged and later released.

bbrown@thespec.com

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