Lehigh Acres Drug Kingpin Bissell Gets 12+ Years

FORT MYERS, FL – James Thomas Bissell (32, Lehigh Acres) is heading to federal prison for over twelve years. United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell handed down a 12-year and 7-month sentence today for the career criminal, convicted of a laundry list of drug and weapons charges. Bissell’s operation, fueled by cocaine and heroin, brought a dangerous level of violence to Lee County and is finally shut down.

The case dates back to February 3, 2016, when Bissell was initially indicted. But the seeds of his downfall were sown months prior, on October 23, 2015, when he brazenly sold narcotics – cocaine and heroin – directly to an undercover detective with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, right from his Lehigh Acres home. This wasn’t a one-off deal; Bissell was building a distribution network, and law enforcement was watching.

On December 3, 2015, the Sheriff’s Office moved in, executing a search warrant at Bissell’s residence. What they found wasn’t just drugs; it was an arsenal. Authorities recovered six different types of controlled substances – cocaine, heroin, hydrocodone, marijuana, alprazolam, and morphine – all intended for street-level distribution. But the drugs were only half the story. They also seized a staggering 28 firearms.

Adding insult to injury, two of those firearms had been previously reported stolen, further complicating Bissell’s legal woes. As a convicted felon, he was already legally prohibited from possessing any firearms. The sheer volume of weapons recovered painted a clear picture: Bissell wasn’t just dealing drugs; he was prepared to defend his operation with lethal force. This case underscores the direct link between drug trafficking and gun violence.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jesus M. Casas and David G. Lazarus successfully prosecuted the case, building a solid case against Bissell and securing a lengthy prison sentence. The ATF’s Special Agent in Charge, Daryl R. McCrary, played a key role in the investigation.

This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing gun violence. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, is coordinating the program in the Middle District of Florida, working with a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to take dangerous criminals like Bissell off the streets. The message is clear: those who traffic drugs and illegally possess firearms will face the full force of the law.