Elizabeth City Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Fentanyl

RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elizabeth City man was sentenced Thursday to 6.5 years in prison after he ran from law enforcement during a traffic stop and was found in possession of 29.66 grams of fentanyl. Rashawn M. Baum, 29, pled guilty to Possession With the Intent to Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl on February 27, 2025.

According to court records, officers with the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement and Elizabeth City Police Department observed Baum driving erratically at a high rate of speed.  When officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, Baum sped off.  After a short pursuit, Baum collided with two separate cars before coming to a stop near a local family restaurant.  Baum and one of the passengers in the car attempted to flee on foot but were caught quickly.

In Baum’s vehicle, law enforcement found a green Crown Royal bag on the driver’s side floorboard. It contained a plastic bag and ten bindles containing various quantities of a white substance. Tests of that substance confirmed it to be approximately an ounce of fentanyl.  Law enforcement also recovered a .357 semi-automatic pistol from the scene.

U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever, III, imposed the sentence and stated that “fentanyl is destroying thousands of lives.” Judge Dever explained the sentence was, in part, because the defendant would rather poison members of his community than seek legitimate employment. The 78-month sentence will commence after Baum finishes an unrelated state sentence in 2031.

Elizabeth City Chief of Police Eddie Graham echoed the District Court and stated that “drugs ruin people’s lives, break up families, and have a disastrous effect on our community.” Chief Graham asserted that such conduct “will no longer be tolerated.”

“Communities across North Carolina have been ravaged by the spread of fentanyl and other opioids, which can lead to overdose deaths,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar said today. “When individuals bring this poison into our communities, this United States Attorney’s Office, along with our partners in law enforcement, will act to prosecute those offenders in order to protect the community.”

Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Logan Liles prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-182.

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