MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — A jury on Tuesday, September 30 began hearing evidence in the State of Texas v. Shawn Gollihugh and ultimately found the 46-year-old Irving man guilty on charges tied to an attempted 12-kilogram cocaine purchase and the violent flight that followed, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors told the court that on June 28, 2023, Gollihugh traveled from the Dallas area to New Caney to buy 12 kilograms of cocaine for $156,000. Unbeknownst to him, the alleged seller was an undercover officer working as part of a money-laundering investigation into mid-level drug trafficking organizations. When the transaction concluded, a law enforcement tactical team moved to arrest Gollihugh.
According to evidence presented at trial by Chief Prosecutor Taylor Vanegas and Assistant District Attorney Madison Schrock, Gollihugh fled while still inside his vehicle. He struck two law enforcement vehicles and pinned one officer between the door and door frame, an officer who suffered only minor injuries. The defendant then led police on a 26-mile pursuit into Houston, reaching speeds up to 120 mph before crashing into a wall on I-45. Prosecutors say dash-cam and other investigative evidence showed Gollihugh swerving between cars and driving on the shoulder, though no members of the public were harmed in the crash.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on both charges and found that Gollihugh used his vehicle as a deadly weapon during the offenses. During the punishment phase, the court heard extensive evidence of the defendant’s long criminal history. Prosecutors introduced records and testimony showing Gollihugh had been in prison or on parole continuously since the late 1990s and had multiple prior convictions for drug dealing and vehicle pursuits.
Court evidence and testimony detailed prior incidents dating back to 1998 when Gollihugh was imprisoned after selling pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover DEA agent. In 2018 he was arrested in Dallas with multiple drugs, hundreds of baggies, a digital scale and cash; in 2020 he allegedly led Plano police on another high-speed chase in connection with a drug investigation. Prosecutors said the record includes at least four prior vehicle pursuits and nine prior drug-dealing offenses.
“This case was prosecuted with assistance from the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, Splendora Police Department, Houston Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations,” the office said. Critical prior-offense records were provided by the Dallas Police Department, Plano Police Department and the DEA.
Chief Prosecutor Vanegas told jurors, “When you look up ‘career criminal’ in the encyclopedia, you’ll find a picture of Shawn Gollihugh.” Assistant DA Schrock added, “For years, Shawn Gollihugh has been dealing drugs and running from police all across Texas, putting countless lives in danger—but that ended when he made the mistake of coming to Montgomery County.” District Attorney Brett Ligon said the prosecution’s work was aimed at protecting residents: “If you endanger Texans, we won’t rest until you’re held to account.”
The verdict followed presentation of the state’s case on September 30. A sentencing date was not announced in the materials released with the verdict.
