A Columbia, South Carolina, man was tried and convicted in his absence this week in Anderson County, announced 10th Circuit Solicitor Micah Black.
A jury found Kha Ree Bernard La’Tre Golden guilty of Trafficking in Cocaine (400 Grams or More) and Possession of Psilocybin after a traffic stop on Interstate 85 uncovered two kilos of cocaine and a large amount of mushrooms. Golden did not appear for his trial, but was represented in court by Ivan Toney of the Greenville Bar. The Honorable R. Lawton McIntosh presided over the trial and issued a sealed sentence and a bench warrant for Golden’s apprehension. While the sentence is sealed until Golden is located, the trafficking charge carries a mandatory sentence of twenty-five (25) to thirty (30) years in prison and a fine of $200,000. The charge is considered both violent and serious and Golden must serve 85 percent of whatever sentence he receives before he is eligible for parole.
On February 6, 2023, Sgt. Hunter Ruff with the Directed Patrol Until of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office uncovered the large quantity of drugs after stopping Golden for a separate traffic infraction. When Sgt. Ruff went to conduct a search of Golden’s vehicle, Golden began running on foot into the woods near the interstate. K9 officer Echo was deployed to track Golden, and eventually located him hiding in an abandoned structure next to Highway 24. The search of Golden’s vehicle uncovered a large suitcase in the back seat containing two kilos of cocaine, almost a kilo of marijuana, and almost 6 ounces of psilocybin mushrooms. Testimony in court revealed that the cocaine alone would be valued on the street between $60,000 and $120,000 depending on how it was further distributed.
Assistant Solicitor Mary Catherine Harbin prosecuted the case for the State, with assistance from Assistant Solicitor Chase Kinsey. “Unfortunately, drug trafficking continues to be a profitable enterprise in our country and state,” Black stated. “I hope this conviction sends a message to those who would traffic drugs in Anderson County that their only reward here will be a long and uncomfortable prison sentence. I am proud of the work of our prosecutors and our partners in law enforcement to continue fighting to hold these criminals accountable.”