Jury finds Pinehurst man guilty of meth possession

WALLACE – The Shoshone County Prosecutors offices reports that 40 year-old Brian Golden Sr. of Pinehurst, Idaho, was convicted on two counts of possession of methamphetamine by a Shoshone County jury after a one day trial on Tuesday.

Court files indicate that the charges were brought against Golden after deputies with the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office located “a baggie and/or baggies” of the illegal substance “in a night stand adjacent to his bed” on or around Jan. 22, 2018. Deputies also found a spoon on top of the night stand that tested positive for methamphetamine residue.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Benjamin Allen states that the case against Golden was charged via a criminal complaint and summons. After pleading “not guilty” to both counts at his arraignment on May 9, a jury trial was set for Sept. 11.

At that Jury trial, Allen and the State of Idaho sought the conviction after multiple items of drug paraphernalia that tested positive for methamphetamine were located in Golden’s basement bedroom, which he shared with his co-defendant. Golden was the second person charged as a result of that search and this co-defendant pled guilty shortly after her arrest.

To back up the charges, the State presented a significant amount of evidence against the defendant that included testimony from state agents (including the lead investigating officer), a department of probation and parole officer, and a forensic scientist (who the state had travel up from the Idaho State Police Laboratory and testify as to the conclusions on the items of drugs that were tested).

“In total, the State submitted 10 different exhibits in support of its case,” Allen said.

Golden’s defense council argued against the case as whole by saying that since a co-defendant had already pled guilty to the methamphetamine found in the home on the date in question, responsibility had already been taken for those items.

In rebuttal, Allen reminded the jury that “Idaho Law enables more than one individual to legally exert possession over a controlled substance and that both individuals should be held responsible for their joint use and possession of the meth.”

Following a full day trial, the jury deliberated for over 90 minutes before returning with a guilty verdict on both counts. The maximum penalty per felony count is 7-years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

“I believe the jury in this case absolutely made the right decision,” Allen said of the decision. “Methamphetamine is a drug that continues to cause a great deal of destruction to this community and with each guilty plea or guilty verdict, we get one step closer to making our streets and neighborhoods a safer place to live.”

According to ICourt, Golden has a fairly lengthy criminal history in Shoshone County going back to 2015 that includes several driving/licensing violations, drug offenses, and an unlawful possession of a weapon charge.

SCSO, who conducted the investigation, declined to comment on the case until the defendant is sentenced. He is scheduled for sentencing on December 10, 2018 at the Shoshone County Court House in Wallace.