A 53-year-old Mooresboro man has been sentenced to 22.5 years in federal prison after admitting he trafficked methamphetamine and firearms across Rutherford and Cleveland counties, including selling an undercover agent nearly a kilogram of pure meth and a dozen guns over just three months. Ronald Keith Goode was sentenced in federal court in Asheville, with U.S. District Judge handing down a 270-month term followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina announced the sentence on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Court records cited by the Justice Department show that between March and May 2025, an undercover agent met with Goode multiple times at his Mooresboro residence, ultimately purchasing approximately 998.01 grams of pure methamphetamine and 12 firearms from him. During that same window, the agent reportedly observed four pound-sized bags containing roughly two kilograms of methamphetamine inside Goode’s home, as reported by Queen City News.
Investigators say Goode went beyond small-time dealing — he told the undercover agent he could receive shipments of up to 10 kilograms of methamphetamine at a time from his primary supplier, according to the Justice Department. Court documents indicate Goode was transporting large quantities of meth from the Atlanta area into Rutherford and Cleveland counties, a route federal officials describe as a key conduit feeding methamphetamine into rural Western North Carolina.
Guns, Ammo and a Ballistic Vest Found in a Shed
Rutherford and Cleveland county law enforcement officials identified Goode as a methamphetamine and gun trafficker as early as February 2025, per court documents referenced by the Justice Department. Investigators and deputies arrested Goode on July 2, 2025, and searched his Mooresboro property the same day, according to court records cited by Queen City News…