Wilmington man sentenced to prison for firearm, gang charges
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man has been sentenced to prison for firearm and gang charges.
Jaheim Stukes, 21, plead guilty on Tuesday in New Hanover County Superior to four counts of possession of firearm by felon with the existence of an aggravating factor for committing the offenses for the benefit of a criminal gang.
He was sentenced by Judge Frank Jones of New Hanover County to a total minimum of nearly 5 years (59 months) and a total maximum of 107 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.
On four separate occasions during the summer of 2023, Stukes was found to be in unlawful possession of a firearm. The investigation began on July 25, 2023 when he was stopped in a vehicle with four fellow members of the street gang referred to as the Rolling 60’s.
The traffic stop occurred on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Wilmington., and after noticing an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, officers found three handguns inside the vehicle. Then, on a phone belonging to one of the vehicle’s other occupants, detectives found a video of Stukes handling a Glock 19 handgun that was recovered in the vehicle.
Stukes is prohibited from possessing firearms based on a 2023 New Hanover conviction for common law robbery. Officers were then able to link Stukes to three additional firearm possession offenses based on witness statements and surveillance video gathered in related investigations.
“Gangs and guns don’t mix, and as the assistant district attorney specifically assigned to prosecute those two entities, keeping our community safe by prosecuting dangerous individuals, like this defendant, are a top priority of mine,” said Assistant District Attorney Brad Matthews.
