Dubuque Armed Career Criminal Convicted at Trial Sentenced to Over 20 Years in Federal Prison

A man who was found driving in Dubuque with baggies of cocaine was sentenced yesterday to more than twenty years in federal prison.  A stolen loaded 9 mm pistol was later located in the ceiling of his shared hotel room.

Terrance Golden, age 45, from Dane County, Wisconsin, received the prison term after an October 13, 2021 jury verdict finding him guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. 

Evidence at trial showed that on the evening of October 1, 2020, Golden was driving in Dubuque, Iowa, when he was pulled over for an expired registration.  Golden matched the description of an individual who was reported to be selling narcotics at a nearby gas station.  A drug-sniffing K9 alerted on his vehicle and he was found in possession of approximately 23 baggies of cocaine base and $1,867 in cash.  Golden lied about his identity as a warrant was out for his arrest from the State of Wisconsin.  A search of his shared hotel room revealed items used to package and sell narcotics and a stolen, loaded, 9mm firearm hidden inside the bathroom ceiling tile.  In a recorded interview with the Dubuque Police Department, Golden stated, “I’ll save my bullshit for the judges.”

Golden was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Golden was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment and fined $200.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.         

Golden is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Liz Dupuich and Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 21-cr-1005.

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