High Ranking Gang Member Receives 19.5 Years in Federal Prison for Leadership Role in Drug Trafficking Organization
(DEA file photo)
RALEIGH, N.C. – William Dayshawn Wilson, also known as “Santana,” of New Bern, North Carolina, was sentenced to 234 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and aiding and abetting. On June 3, 2022, Wilson, age 32, pled guilty to the charges.
“We are committed to keeping our streets safe from the destructive influence of gang activity and the deadly impact of fentanyl trafficking. Today’s sentencing is a clear message to those who engage in such criminal enterprises will face the full force of the law. We will relentlessly protect our communities and ensure justice is served,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.
According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, on January 13, 2019, Craven County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a report of shots fired at one of Wilson’s drug stash houses at the Gracie Farms trailer park in Craven County. Law enforcement discovered that Coriana Cox had been killed as individuals shot into the trailer, likely as a part of an attempted robbery.
Before law enforcement arrived at the drug stash house, Wilson called someone inside the residence and told them to get rid of the narcotics and firearms that were inside. During the homicide investigation, law enforcement found 46 grams of fentanyl that had not yet been destroyed.
The investigation revealed that from 2014 until 2020, Wilson orchestrated drug trips from New Jersey to Eastern North Carolina and oversaw several drug “trap houses” in Craven County. The investigation uncovered that Wilson was involved in the distribution of large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.
On April 2, 2019, Wilson was arrested in Greenville, North Carolina for a North Carolina State probation violation. Wilson had attempted to alter his appearance, was in possession of a Florida Driver’s license in the name of “Akiz Jackman,” and had a suitcase that contained more than $30,000.
On April 24, 2019, law enforcement observed Shatavia Wilson, William Wilson’s wife, meet someone in a parking lot in Craven County. Following that meeting, that person placed a shoebox in the trunk of Shatavia Wilson’s car. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the car. A K-9 alerted on the car and officers found more than more $42,000 in the shoebox.
On May 1, 2019, Wilson used a recorded jail phone to arrange for someone to pick up heroin from New Jersey for distribution in Eastern North Carolina. Detectives were able to confirm that a third party left New Bern and travelled to Newark, New Jersey. On May 3, 2019, members of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office stopped the car in Oxford, North Carolina and found 80 grams of heroin.
According to law enforcement and other information, Wilson was one of the highest-ranking Blood gang members in Craven County and had a reputation for using fear and intimidation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Craven and Granville County Sheriffs’ Offices, the New Bern Police Department, Craven County District Attorney Scott Thomas, and the Craven County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Lemmon and Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov, and www.dea.gov . Also follow DEA Atlanta via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv
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