Seven Bloods Gang Members Charged in Wilmington Heroin Ring

WILMINGTON — A coordinated heroin distribution ring tied to the United Blood Nation – Nine Trey gang has been ripped apart by federal charges against seven suspects, all now facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The arrests, carried out on October 24, 2016, targeted individuals deeply embedded in the violent street hierarchy of Wilmington’s underground drug economy.

The charged defendants include KEJUAN TIZOM SHABAZZ SMITH, aka Bobby, 24; DAENZAL XAVIER MURPHY, aka Zilla, 24; THEODORE PIERCE, JR., aka Three, 19; ALICIA RASHAWN JOHNSON, aka Lili, 18; DARRELL TYKWAN ATKINSON, aka Dada, 19; THEODORE ROOSEVELT HARDY, III, aka Trey, 23; and KHALIL DJOUR TRUESDALE, 20. All were taken into custody following a months-long federal investigation culminating in criminal complaints filed October 19, 2016.

According to court documents, law enforcement initiated the probe in early April 2016, embedding confidential sources and executing multiple controlled heroin buys throughout April and May. The transactions, conducted under surveillance, traced a steady flow of the deadly opioid from Wilmington street corners to users across New Hanover and Onslow Counties.

The operation was led by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, working alongside the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Police Department, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wilmington Police Department. Their collaboration dismantled a network that used gang affiliations to protect and expand its trafficking territory.

Detention hearings for the accused were held on October 31 and November 1, 2016. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment on charges of illegal possession and distribution of heroin. Prosecutors argue the gang’s structure facilitated high-volume, repeat drug sales in a city already battered by opioid addiction.

The charges remain allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Still, the takedown marks one of the most significant strikes against organized narcotics operations in southeastern North Carolina this year.

RELATED: Narik Wilson, Emil Rutledge Admit Bloods Gang Racketeering

RELATED: SWS Gang Leaders Face Death Penalty for Murders