A Hickory man will spend six to eight years in prison following his conviction for trafficking opium/heroin during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
Marquez Jayshun-Jerome Ikard, 29, was given the active sentence by the Honorable Sherri W. Elliott, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, after he entered his guilty plea.
The defendant also was assessed a mandatory fine of $500,000.
Ikard will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
Investigation of the case started on May 10, 2024, and led to the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on June 7, 2024.
During that search, numerous items were found, including pills that were deemed to be a trafficking amount of fentanyl when tested by the State Crime Lab. Ikard admitted that the items found in the home were his.
Derek Trivett handled the investigation for Conover Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Jordan Arney.