Local Man Sent to Prison for Fifteen Years

Ralph Jake Goss, Jr.

A 39-year-old man, Ralph Jake Goss, Jr., pleaded guilty in General Sessions Court to an assault on a Walhalla laundromat customer that occurred on March 12. The attack led to a manhunt culminating in Goss’s arrest in Westminster. Goss admitted to the assault and battery with the intent to commit first-degree criminal sexual conduct. During the attack, he wielded a knife, but the victim managed to escape by slipping out of her hoodie. Judge Cordell Maddox sentenced Goss to 30 years, reduced to 15 with credit for 276 days already served. Goss’s extensive criminal history includes burglary, trespassing, vehicle theft, drug offenses, and desecrating burial grounds. Acknowledging his wrongdoing, Goss requested help, which will be provided as part of his sentence, including mental health counseling and participation in an alcohol, drug and tobacco cessation program.