Haw River traffic stop leads to gun, machine-gun device arrests

A Haw River traffic stop on Keck Road turned into a weapons case after deputies said the vehicle had a fictitious license plate and the driver could not produce a valid license.

The stop happened at 1:11 a.m. on April 17, 2026, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies identified the driver as Jakyle Cincere Stokes, 27, of Yanceyville, and learned he had a revoked license and three outstanding warrants. He was arrested and placed in a deputy vehicle.

Deputies also said they smelled what they believed was marijuana, which led them to ask the front-seat passenger, JaKwan Edzavor Daye, 23, of Burlington, to step out of the car. As Daye got out, deputies said a small bag of what appeared to be marijuana fell from his person.

When deputies searched Daye, they said they found a loaded handgun with a machine-gun conversion device. That discovery escalated the traffic stop into a felony firearms case and a significant public-safety seizure, all from an initial encounter that began with a plate check and a missing license.

Stokes was charged with communicating threats, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, two counts of failure to appear, driving while license revoked, no financial responsibility, and displaying a fictitious plate. Daye was charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony possession of a firearm by a felon, felony possession of a weapon of mass destruction, and misdemeanor carry concealed weapon.

Both men were taken to the Alamance County Detention Center.

The case shows how deputies on routine patrol in Haw River can move quickly from a traffic enforcement stop to a broader criminal investigation when a vehicle displays signs of more serious violations. In this case, the fictitious plate, revoked license, outstanding warrants, suspected marijuana, and a loaded firearm equipped with a conversion device all surfaced during the same stop on Keck Road.