District attorneys work to shut down two illegal nightclubs in New Hanover, Columbus counties

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Over the past several months, District Attorneys Ben and Jon David have worked to shut down two illegal nightclubs in New Hanover and Columbus counties, according to a release from the Office of District Attorney Ben David.

The clubs were determined to be nuisances to the communities around them.

The investigations into the two nightclubs “stemmed from shootings, homicides, gang activity, illegal alcohol sales, and controlled substance violations taking place on these properties,” according to the release.

Judgments and show cause motions have been filed and heard in the nuisance abatement investigations of Edge Lounge in Wilmington and Ballz Night Club in Evergreen.

Edge Lounge operates in the 1200 block of S 5th Street, while Ballz Night Club is located in the 2000 block of Macedonia Church Road. Both locations have been the scene of several crimes dating back to the early 2000s.

The Edge Lounge raised the minimum age for guests in 2011 after a string of violence. In 2022, Tammy Hayes was shot and killed outside the club. Keisha Baldwin is charged with First Degree Murder in the case, which is set to go to trial later this year.

Earlier this year, Alcohol Law Enforcement officials shut down the club for operating without alcohol permits.

Law enforcement officials first tried to shut down the Ballz Nightclub in 2012, and District Attorney Jon David says negotiations with the property owners were initially successful, until last year.

“In the last year, when they thought no one was looking, the property owner sort of woke back up and began using this nightclub again in an illegal fashion,” said Jon David. “It’s really just an old, abandoned house that they would repurpose towards a criminal use. In the last year we had three separate shooting incidents on that property.”

The Ballz Nightclub is set to be demolished through a training exercise with the local fire department. The property will then be given to the Columbus County Board of Education.

According to District Attorney Ben David, the Edge Lounge must now follow strict guidelines.

“This property can never again be operated as a nightclub, restoring order to that neighborhood,” said David. “No business can operate after 9 p.m. or before 6 a.m, and no alcohol can be sold on that premises for at least the next five years.”

Ben David says these rules apply to the property, so any future owners will have to abide by the same restrictions.

Past judgments have resulted in other nuisance properties “being demolished, forged agreements detailing the future intended use of these properties, and perpetually enjoined the defendants from operating nuisances elsewhere in the state of North Carolina,” the release explains.

“Nuisance Abatement cases are only successful through partnerships with property owners, community members, and law enforcement agencies.”

“Chapter 19 of the North Carolina General Statutes defines ‘nuisance’ activities and provides for a civil remedy to reduce criminal acts and their detrimental impacts on the community,” the announcement states. “Since being duly elected to their positions, both District Attorneys have routinely utilized the Chapter 19 nuisance abatement statute and have brought dozens of successful cases into the courtroom on behalf of the State of North Carolina.”