Brittney Tyrone Goins, 39, is staring down a long prison stretch after a Knox County jury on Thursday found him guilty on a stack of drug and weapons charges tied to a March 31, 2024, search at a Glenwood Avenue home. Prosecutors say officers found Goins hiding in a bathroom and recovered a loaded 9mm handgun, cocaine, fentanyl and other evidence. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 3 and could face at least 17 years behind bars.
Prosecutors' account
According to District Attorney General Charme Allen's office, Goins was convicted of possession with intent to sell cocaine, fentanyl, and gabapentin, possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a violent felon. Prosecutors told jurors the case began when officers were talking with residents at the Glenwood Avenue home and spotted drugs and paraphernalia, which led to a search. Those details and the breakdown of charges were reported by WVLT.
Evidence jurors heard
When officers encountered Goins, he hugged a friend and told them, "I'm gone," prosecutors said. A search turned up a backpack containing a loaded 9mm handgun, additional cocaine, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia and the keys to Goins' car, and investigators later found 137 gabapentin pills and a holster inside the vehicle. "This repeat offender is again headed to the Tennessee Department of Correction where he has already spent a significant portion of his adult life," DA Charme Allen said, as reported by WVLT.
Legal implications
Under Tennessee law, possessing a firearm during the commission of a listed "dangerous felony" can trigger a separate weapons enhancement that adds mandatory minimum time to a sentence, and unlawful possession by a felon is itself a felony. The statute covering firearm enhancements and the state's weapons code explain that a gun discovered in the course of alleged drug distribution can be charged separately from the drug counts, as laid out in Justia. Defense attorneys commonly note that prosecutors must tie the weapon to the underlying dangerous felony for the enhancement to carry additional prison time.
Next steps
Goins' sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 3, and prosecutors say he faces at least 17 years in custody. They also pointed out that court records show he has five prior felony convictions dating to 2005 for attempted robbery, drug dealing and weapons offenses, and that records list him as a member of the Tree Top Pirus criminal street gang.
