Elizabeth City man receives 78-month sentence for fentanyl possession
The video above is from an Aug. 2024 report about a new crime initiative during which the suspect in the case below was indicted.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) – An Elizabeth City man will spend 6 1/2 years in prison on fentanyl charges he received after leading law enforcement on a pursuit.
Rashawn Baum, 29, was sentenced on May 22 on charges of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. He pleaded guilty in February.
According to court records, officers with North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement and Elizabeth City Police tried to pull Baum over after witnessing him speeding, but he refused to stop.
During a short pursuit, Baum's vehicle crashed into two other cars before eventually coming to a stop. Baum and a passenger got out of the vehicle and started to run, but were quickly caught.
Law enforcement searched Baum's vehicle and found a green Crown Royal bag that contained a substance later confirmed to be about an ounce of fentanyl. They also recovered a .357 semi-automatic pistol.
While imposing the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever, III said 'fentanyl is destroying thousands of lives.'
Elizabeth City Chief of Police Eddie Graham added that 'drugs ruin people's lives, break up families, and have a disastrous effect on our community.' Chief Graham said this 'will no longer be tolerated.'
Baum's 78-month sentence will begin after he finishes an unrelated state sentence in 2031.
New multi-agency strategy leads to 21 arrests in northeast North Carolina for violent crimes
According to a previous news release, Baum is a member of the Blood Gang.
Last August, WAVY reported that Baum was among 21 people indicted as part of a recently launched Violent Crime Action Plan, which is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, sheriffs of at least eight counties surrounding the Albemarle Sound, city and town police chiefs and other state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach launches Good Vibes Only campaign to promote safety
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The city of Virginia Beach unveiled their new campaign: Good Vibes Only, June 5 to promote a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable environment. Residents and guests should expect to see creative visuals, digital signage, social media messaging and a public service announcement video ahead of peak summer season. The city says the message is simple: Virginia Beach is open to good energy, not bad behavior. The campaign encourages guests and residents alike to: Be kind and respectful to others Follow city safety guidelines Keep music and noise at reasonable levels Dispose of trash properly Report concerns responsibly Safety has been an issue of concern for the city as during spring break weekend, nearly 200 criminal charges and 53 arrests were made. VBPD: Nearly 200 charges, 53 arrests made at Oceanfront over spring break weekend In addition, 28 firearms were confiscated over the weekend. For more information on the campaign visit the link here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
NC Governor delivers gun locks to Elizabeth City Police. Here's how to get one
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) — In his first visit to Northeast North Carolina since being elected the state's 76th Governor, Josh Stein delivered a box of gun locks to local police as part of N.C. S.A.F.E. Week of Action. The week long campaign focuses on safe gun ownership and management, to try and prevent tragedies that Stein, (D-N.C.), said have become far too common. 'Firearms are the leading cause of death of our children age 1 to 17,' Stein said. 'It's not car accidents, it's gun violence. And from 2019 to 2021, the rate of firearm deaths among children more than doubled.' Elizabeth City looks for solutions to gun violence Specifically, the governor was focusing on accidental deaths that have occurred when guns found their way into the hands of children. Dr. Eric Toschlog, chief trauma surgeon for ECU Health, named several examples of cases he had experiences with. '14-year-old male gunshot wound to the brain, inflicted by his brother with a unsafely stored weapon. Five-year-old male gunshot wound to the brain by his brother, unsecured weapon. 13-year-old female gun shot wound to the arm at a family party, unsecured weapon. 18-month-old male, gunshot wound to the heart by family member cleaning gun,' Toschlog said. 'Unfortunately I could consume the remainder of our time with more cases.' Fon Dockery however knows one of the cases all too well. His daughter, Jenesis Dockery, was eight when she was shot and killed in 2023 while at a babysitter's house in Fayetteville. 'The adults responsible for securing these firearms for being present and having these conversations and ensuring that in a house filled with children that any firearm here is secure, effective and that just wasn't done,' Dockery said. 'We we absolutely decided as a family that for the life of Jenesis in the light that she brought to this world. This is a preventable issue and we're going to advocate and we're going to push all across the state of North Carolina all the way to Washington, DC. That we can change the problem that we have in our country and secure our firearms.' FBI data says that the rate of gun theft from vehicles is three times as high as it was 10 years ago. To help reduce gun violence and needless tragedies, Governor Stein proposed more than $2.2 million for safe storage in his . Recently appointed Elizabeth City Police Chief Eddie Graham Jr, accepted a box of gun locks from Stein. The locks use a cable threaded through the barrel or action to prevent someone else from firing the gun. 'We must use every tool at our disposal to keep children safe and promote responsible gun ownership – we need folks locking up their guns, using a gun safe, and talking about the risks of loose firearms,' Stein said. The gun locks are free and anyone looking to obtain one can contact your local police department of sheriff's office, according to the governors office. You can also visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Migratory birds develop antibodies to bird flu, officials say
(WAVY) – Wildlife officials are keeping a close eye on the spread of avian influenza after along the North Carolina coast earlier this year — most of them brown pelicans. The outbreak has since been linked to the H5N1 strain of bird flu, a virus that continues to mutate and occasionally jump to other species, raising concern among experts. Miranda Turner, a wildlife health biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said the area is a prime wintering ground for birds — making it easier for disease to spread. 'When you bring a lot of animals together and you have them traveling from different locations, it's a really good way to transmit diseases,' Turner said. In Hampton Roads, bird flu outbreaks aren't new. Lisa Barlow, president of T recalls treating sick and dying Canada geese during a 2021 outbreak on the Lafayette River. 'We dealt with about three to four dozen Canada geese that came in sick and dying,' Barlow said. 'Only six survived the flu, and even those had to be euthanized due to severe neurological symptoms.' Barlow described birds arriving unable to hold their heads up, their beaks caked in mud. Many died within 24 hours. As the virus continues to affect wildlife, it's not just birds at risk. , including seals, cats and even cattle. Experts say it's mutated at least several times since it was first identified. 'I mean, anything that can do that — it's kind of frightening, but amazing,' Barlow said. Despite the concerning spread, health officials emphasize the risk to humans remains low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 human cases have been reported nationwide, including one death. Most infections have been among people with repeated exposure to infected animals, such as poultry or dairy farm workers. 'There's really low risk,' Turner said. 'Still, it's a good idea to clean bird feeders regularly and wear gloves or a mask if you handle injured wildlife.' Barlow also urges caution for those who come across sick birds. 'If you do want to help, wear gloves, protect yourself,' she said. 'Common sense goes a long way.' Meanwhile, as migratory birds continue to interact and spread the virus, some are developing natural antibodies, according to Turner. 'They're bouncing back and creating herd immunity,' she said. Last week, the Associated Press reported the in funding meant to support Moderna's development of a bird flu vaccine. The vaccine, which uses mRNA technology similar to the COVID-19 vaccine, had shown early promise in clinical trials. For now, wildlife officials say they expect to see more outbreaks in the years ahead, especially during peak migration periods. 'Because this virus is so common in migratory birds, it is likely that we will continue to see cases here and there every winter,' Turner said. As of right now, there have been no confirmed human cases of H5N1 in Virginia and although the risk remains low for humans, for birds it can be extremely deadly – leading to large die-off events like the ones we saw near Cape Hatteras. 'Unfortunately, this was the first kind of major large scale mortality event… while it looks really bad at that small scale of seeing 300 brown pelicans die – it's not impacting their population as a whole or the species as a whole,' adds Turner. Turner also explains that the surviving pelicans are still there, 'The brown pelicans that did survive that event were still nesting on that island successfully and are doing well. So really, it's a short scale kind of scary looking event, but nothing that raises alarm for biologists in the long term.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
