An Ahoskie man, Nyjawaun Ezell, also known as "Nike," has been sentenced to 71 months in prison on charges related to firearms and drug trafficking, as announced in New Bern, North Carolina. Ezell, 28 years old, pleaded guilty to the charges on November 13, 2024. According to court documents, Nyjawaun Ezell was involved with the G-Shine set of the Bloods gang and illegally acquired multiple firearms over a ten-month period. This was during the time he was under indictment for allegedly murdering a rival gang member in Hertford County.
One incident involved Ezell attempting to buy an AR-style rifle at a local gun store. He made a false statement on a form from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), denying his ongoing felony indictment, which would have disqualified him from purchasing a firearm. The court also presented evidence that Ezell was involved in narcotics distribution in Hertford County during this period.
Ezell pleaded guilty to three charges of obtaining firearms while under felony indictment, making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer, and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
Daniel P. Bubar, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, communicated the details after the sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Down East Drug and Violent Crime Task Force; and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.
Documents related to the court proceedings can be accessed on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or through PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-22-FL-RJ.