by Eric Mullens
WALSENBURG — On Saturday morning, March 10 sheriff’s deputy Joshua Beecham was dispatched to the Dollar General store in Walsenburg to meet with a man, Keith Goyette, 35, who said there were “people out to get him.” According to the affidavit in support of warrantless arrest, the subject admitted to the deputy he was high on meth and had gotten a ride to Walsenburg from Trinidad with friends who were no longer around. The subject wanted a ride back to Trinidad and the deputy offered to take him to SPRHC’s emergency room to get checked out by medical personnel and he agreed. As the initial contact was going on, a dog jumped out of a red SUV and acted as if it was familiar with Goyette. The male party in the SUV got his dog and asked the deputy what was going on. Goyette allegedly told EMTs that he “used to know” the man in the SUV.
After Goyette was transported from the scene, the deputy returned to the scene and both the red SUV and the large RV were gone. When Goyette was interviewed later he said the man in the RV had picked him up from his home in Trinidad and driven to Walsenburg. Goyette was asked if there were drugs in the RV, and he reportedly told the deputy there were two pounds of marijuana inside. He also told a deputy hypodermic needles and a small red bag that belonged to him were inside the RV.
Photo by Eric Mullens
The RV was later located in a gravel parking lot between Dakota Campground and the Bud Hut. A male, identified as Dylan Harty, 36, and the same dog from the Dollar General scene were inside the vehicle. At approximately 3:45 pm, an approved search warrant was executed on the vehicle. A syringe containing a black substance, which field tested positive as heroin, along with two large bags of marijuana, one weighing just under a pound and half, the other weighing just under a half pound were discovered. Also found was a large tub containing what was believed to be a marijuana extraction device and other marijuana growing equipment. Harty allegedly told law enforcement officers the equipment was for a relative of his in Arizona. A black colored rifle case was found in the RV’s closet and when opened at the sheriff’s office, two firearms wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and taped together were found.
A computer check showed Harty was a convicted felon, although he said that conviction had been expunged from his record. When his felony conviction was confirmed he was taken into custody and was transported to the county jail.
Initial arrest charges for Harty include unlawful possession of a schedule I or II controlled substance (drug felony class four); person in possession of more than 12 ounces of marijuana (drug felony class four), and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a class six felony. Harty was booked into the county jail on the three charges and bond was set at $1,500. Deputy Clint Boehler and Sheriff’s Captain Ray Walsh were also involved in the investigation.
