Coatesville man to serve six years as plea clears up cases

Friday, August 26, 2016

A 38-year-old Coatesville man who led police on a pursuit last fall in a strange case involving a drug overdose, a substantial amount of methamphetamine and more than a half-dozen firearms was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday.

However, because of a plea agreement with the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office that cleaned up four separate cases facing Darrell L. Goff, the defendant will be serving a maximum of six years in the Indiana Department of Correction.

Darrell Goff

Putnam Superior Court Judge Denny Bridges accepted the plea but not before advising Goff what a "really good deal" he got.

"You were facing 23 years," the judge told him. "The state, for whatever reason, agreed to cap your sentence at six years executed. It's like a Christmas present."

Not only was Goff charged in connection with the Nov. 2, 2015 pursuit in which he faced four felony counts, but also a Jan. 20, 2015 theft case, a Nov. 4, 2015 attempted trafficking with an inmate case in which he tried to bring meth into the Putnam County Jail, and a March 24, 2016 battery causing moderate bodily injury case for punching another inmate at the jail.

In the latter case, Goff reportedly punched fellow inmate Nicholas McAlister, who only recently appeared in court himself for sentencing to the DOC in part because of a different jail fracas.

McAlister, who had a physical run-in with jailers and pled guilty to hitting a female jailer with a lunch tray, suffered pain, cuts and a fractured eye socket in the altercation with Goff, court records note.

"Just out of curiosity," Judge Bridges asked, "why did you punch him?"

"He called me a name," Goff replied. "He called me an 'MF' because I was being too loud on the phone."

The judge nodded incredulously.

"I guess that'll teach him," Bridges responded.

"Sometimes you gotta learn a valuable lesson," Goff suggested moments before he learned his own fate of serving six years, all executed, in the DOC with nine more years on probation.

Goff, now sporting a full beard since his time in jail, was credited with 299 days already served at PCJ.

In the battery case, he was sentenced to three years in prison -- all suspended -- but will have to make $1,306.98 restitution to the Putnam County Sheriff's Department as part of the plea agreement.

"What did you damage at the jail?" Judge Bridges asked.

The correct answer to that would be the other inmate's eye socket. The restitution is for medical bills incurred by the jail, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Justin Long explained.

During sentencing, Goff asked to be placed in the CLIFF (Clean Lives is Forever Freedom) Program and to take advantage of other options to help get his "life back together."

Judge Bridges said that needs to be considered by DOC officials.

"Between the Cliff Program and (nine years) probation, you might be able to take every class ever offered," the judge noted. "You'll be ready to come out and take on the world."

That appears to be what Goff was doing in a different way last November.

Known to be a suspended driver, Goff led authorities on a short pursuit that began around 10:30 a.m. when Putnam Sheriff's Department Sgt. Gregg Slover spotted Goff behind the wheel of a red Grand Am near County Roads 550 East and 200 North.

A brief pursuit followed as the vehicle fled southbound from Wildwood Bridge before heading west for less than a mile on County Road 275 North where

the car then came to an abrupt halt. The doors reportedly flew open and men fled from both sides of the car. One never to be seen again.

Goff was apprehended 100 yards later in a woodline but not before Deputy Dwight Simmons noticed him drop a package that turned out to be 21 grams of methamphetamine. That amount resulted in a Level 4 felony charge of dealing in meth for Goff.

Sgt. Slover, meanwhile, had good reason for not pursuing the front-seat passenger. He stopped instead to help a woman in the backseat who appeared to be in the throes of a drug overdose.

A search of the car also revealed multiple handguns and rifles, along with ammunition. At least one gun had its serial number obliterated, while a loaded handgun was found under the front seat.

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