Daniel P. Bubar Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
A Wilson man has been sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. Joshua Elijah Strickland, 22, admitted guilt to the charge on March 11, 2025.
Court documents and information revealed that Strickland was apprehended last July during a search conducted by the Wilson Police Department at a residence used by gang members to store firearms and drugs. This search followed an incident on June 26, 2024, where several individuals were seen fleeing to the gang house after firing 11 shots into another occupied residence nearby. The shooting was part of a surge in gang violence that summer when Wilson experienced at least 12 gang-related shootings within a month. Strickland has prior felony convictions, including possession of a stolen firearm and maintaining premises for drug-related activities.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced the sentencing after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III delivered the sentence. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force and the Wilson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Chris Cogburn handled prosecution duties.
For more details on related court documents and information, visit the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or access PACER with Case No. 4:24-CR-305.
