PINEHURST – A search warrant at residence on Wednesday night resulted in the seizure of several drugs and firearms.  

The warrant was served at the home of Brian Golden Sr., 47, who has been charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, trafficking marijuana, possession of a schedule II controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.  

During their search, law enforcement located more than a pound of marijuana, morphine, drug paraphernalia, a shotgun, and an AR-15 pistol. Golden, who was not at the home during the search, was taken into custody in Kellogg later Wednesday evening.  

Golden has had numerous run-ins with the law dating back to 1994, including several drug-related offenses, as well as burglary and petit theft.  

If convicted, Golden is facing a potential maximum of five years in prison for each firearm charge, a potential maximum of seven years for the controlled substance charge. Trafficking in marijuana carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison and $5,000 in fines.   

According to Pinehurst Police Chief John Richter, the search warrant execution was a joint effort from his department, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), and the Kellogg Police. While happy that the operation was successful, Chief Richter took the time to point out that Wednesday’s operation might not be possible if county leaders continue to push for cuts in the sheriff’s office budget.  

“Budget cuts to law enforcement, specifically the SCSO, will cause these types of operations to have increased danger to law enforcement officers and the community at large,” Richter said.