Former Fulton man federally indicted on meth, firearms charges

ROCKFORD – A former Fulton man was indicted Tuesday on federal drug and firearms charges.

Bradley Scott Goddard, 33, now of Clinton, Iowa, is charged with possession of a controlled substance (more than 50 grams of methamphetamine) with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Rockford said in a news release.

Goddard possessed the drugs and firearm on Sept. 8 in Fulton, the indictment states. That’s when he was arrested by Fulton police.

He pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Goddard initially was charged Sept. 9 in Whiteside County Court with armed violence, for possessing a Ruger handgun along with methamphetamine, a charge that. carries a minimum of 15 years in prison; possession with intent to deliver more than 100 but less than 400 grams of meth, punishable by a minimum of 9 to 40 years; possession of more than 100 but less than 400 grams of meth, punishable by a minimum 6 to 30 years; possession of a weapon by a felon, which carries a minimum of 3 to 14 years; and escape, which carries 3 to 7 years, for escaping from a Fulton police officer, court documents show.

Those charges were dismissed Tuesday when the circuit court judge learned federal charges were being filed.

Goddard also was charged in Lee County in August 2019 with felony retail theft and was free after posting $730 of his $7,300 bond that September, then failed to pay or appear starting that October. That case is pending.

He was sentenced in Whiteside County to 2 years in prison in February 2020 for theft worth more than $500 but less than $10,000 in a 2019 case. He stopped playing his fines in March and was sent to a collections agency, court records show.

Fulton Police Chief Nicholas Neblung, the Morrison Police Department and the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the federal investigation, the release said.