27-05-2025
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.
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