WILMINGTON, North Carolina – In a major blow to gang activity in the city, Kejuan Tizom Shabazz Smith, 24, of Wilmington, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 327 months imprisonment for his role in leading the Nine Trey Gangsters, a subset of the United Blood Nation street gang.
The sentencing comes after a federal Title III wiretap on a cell phone used by Smith revealed daily communications with subordinate gang members, furthering heroin distribution and gang-related crimes. The wiretap was conducted in July and August of 2016, and the evidence collected led to Smith’s conviction on charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by convicted felon.
On August 4, 2016, Smith stockpiled firearms and ammunition at a Wilmington residence, anticipating a trip to Goldsboro the following day to carry out a hit on a rival gang member. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence, seizing 13 firearms, assorted ammunition, and a military-grade ballistic vest.
Smith’s conviction is the latest in a series of federal cases brought against members of the Nine Trey Gangsters. Multiple co-defendants were charged and have already been sentenced in federal court, including Khalil Djour Truesdale, convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and sentenced to 78 months imprisonment; Theodore Pierce, convicted of heroin distribution and firearms offenses and sentenced to 102 months imprisonment; Theodore Hardy, convicted of heroin distribution and sentenced to 84 months imprisonment; Daenzal Murphy, convicted of heroin distribution and sentenced to 14 months imprisonment; Alicia Rashawn Johnson, convicted of heroin distribution and sentenced to 13 months imprisonment; and Darrell Tykwon Atkinson, convicted of heroin distribution and sentenced to 14 months imprisonment.
The case was brought as a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation investigating narcotics distribution and gang activity. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Wilmington Safe Streets Task Force, consisting of the Wilmington Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Police Department.
Kejuan Tizom Shabazz Smith’s exact real full name is Kejuan Tizom Shabazz Smith, and he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by convicted felon. He is from Wilmington, North Carolina, and was sentenced to 327 months imprisonment. The sentencing took place on an unspecified date in 2023. The case is part of an ongoing effort to combat gang activity and narcotics distribution in the city.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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