INDIANAPOLIS — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
INDIANAPOLIS— Marvin T. Golden Jr., 26, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to thirteen years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, on October 26, 2022, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies observed Marvin Golden, Jr. sell 55 grams of methamphetamine while his children were sitting in the back seat of his car. On November 3, 2022, Golden sold another 20 grams of methamphetamine and a gram of fentanyl in Shelby County.
In the early hours of March 25, 2023, Anthony Shelman was shot to death in Marion County. At approximately 3:25 a.m., Shelman was driving east on I-70 with a passenger in his car. As they approached the Emerson Avenue exit, multiple rounds were fired at their vehicle. Shelman was shot in the chest, his passenger was shot in the hand, and the vehicle crashed into a light pole at the intersection after the Emerson Avenue exit, and two other nearby vehicles fled the scene at high speed. Shelman was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital, and his passenger survived. Police later identified multiple gunshot holes in the windshield and passenger side of the vehicle.
The Indiana State Police began an extensive investigation of the killing, including extensive review of video evidence from traffic and surveillance cameras. Troopers discovered that Shelman, his passenger, Marvin Golden, and another individual were all at the Sunset Strip Club in Indianapolis, immediately prior to the shooting. Golden and the other individual were waiting outside the club when Shelman and his passenger drove away. Golden and the other individual each followed Shelman in their own vehicles. The two vehicles followed Shelman for more than ten minutes and over seven miles before exiting I-70 at Emerson Avenue at the same time the shots were apparently fired, and fled at high speed after the shooting. At approximately 7:00 that same morning, Golden is seen on video extensively cleaning his car for ten minutes in the pouring rain, including moving the seats and shining a light in an apparent effort to locate objects in the car.
On May 3, 2023, Troopers conducted a court-authorized search of Golden’s home and seized a .40 caliber Glock 27 handgun. The gun was previously possessed by a relative of Golden’s, and forensic testing found that it was the gun used to kill Shelman. DNA testing identified Golden’s DNA on multiple parts of the gun. At Golden’s federal sentencing hearing, the judge enhanced his advisory sentencing range after finding that Golden possessed the murder weapon in connection with a felony offense related to Shelman’s murder.
On August 28, 2023, Indiana State Police Troopers and two Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Golden and seized a loaded Glock 9mm handgun from his person.
Unsealed court records demonstrate that Golden was previously a member of a street gang referred to as the Mob. He was charged as a juvenile in federal court for his role in a series of armed robberies of pharmacies committed when he was 17 years old. Golden and his co-conspirators stole drugs from the pharmacies at gunpoint and then sold the stolen drugs. Golden brandished firearms and pointed them at victims’ heads during multiple robberies. At one of the robberies Golden participated in, two members of the conspiracy got into a dispute, and one shot the other in the head, killing him. The following day, Golden robbed another pharmacy at gunpoint.
In 2019, Golden was sentenced as a juvenile to time served, the maximum penalty available under the law, and given one year of juvenile probation. His co-conspirators were charged and convicted in federal court under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
He was later convicted of additional drug and gun offenses as an adult and was a felon when he conducted both drug deals and possessed both firearms, including the murder weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Golden was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
“Anthony Shelman should be alive today, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and all who loved him,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Marvin Goldman has repeatedly demonstrated that he is a violent, vicious criminal who has an utter disregard for the law. As we work to urgently reduce gun violence, investigation and federal prosecution of the most dangerous armed criminals is a top priority. We are grateful to our partners at ATF, ISP, and in Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, as well as our federal prosecutor, for ensuring that this measure of justice is done and this menace to our community will be off of our streets for years to come.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Indiana State Police, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash, who prosecuted this case.
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