Winston Man's Ninth Felony Conviction Leads to 15 Years

A 53-year-old Winston man with a history of drug use will spend 15 more years in prison after authorities caught him transporting methamphetamine along I-20 last August, according to Douglas County District Attorney David McDade.

Wendell Rex Golden was sentenced Tuesday by Chief Superior Court Judge Robert J. James after entering a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Methamphetamine. Tuesday’s conviction brings Golden’s total number of felony convictions to nine, with three of those prior occasions stemming directly from the defendant’s use of methamphetamine.

Assistant District Attorney Anna Vaughan gave a brief summary of Golden’s latest conviction during the sentencing hearing. The defendant’s most recent run-in with law enforcement occurred while he was still on probation for distributing methamphetamine. According to Vaughan, Golden was pulled over on Aug. 31, 2012, near the Highway 5 exit, for a traffic stop. A search of his vehicle uncovered two bags containing methamphetamine. The drugs were found under the steering wheel, tucked away inside the dashboard.