Brandon Jamar Bell, Cocaine Distribution, North Carolina 2012
North Carolina Drug Dealer Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Court
In a major blow to the state's narcotics trade, Brandon Jamar Bell, 27, of Bayboro, NC, has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale cocaine distribution operation. On January 10, 2013, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan handed down the sentence, which also includes 5 years of supervised release. Bell was order to pay $780 in restitution to the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office.
Bell was named in an indictment filed on May 23, 2012, charging him and Don Elbert Lewis, also of Bayboro, with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine between 2004 and March 2012.
According to the investigation, officers with the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office used a confidential informant to purchase cocaine base (crack) from Bell and Lewis on multiple occasions in January through March 2012. Several of these controlled purchases took place at Lewis’ residence in Bayboro, and further investigation revealed that Lewis allowed Bell and other area drug dealers to use his residence to process and sell narcotics in exchange for either drugs or proceeds from drug sales.
In total, over 14 kilograms of cocaine and cocaine base (crack) were either processed or sold from Lewis’ residence. This large-scale operation was the result of a multi-agency task force comprised of agents from the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Havelock Police Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, New Bern Police Department, Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, River Bend Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation, and Trent Woods Police Department.
The investigation into this case was led by the Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team. Special Assistant United States Attorney Augustus Willis represented the government in these matters. Mr. Willis is a prosecutor with District 3-B District Attorney’s Office, which encompasses Carteret, Craven, and Pamlico Counties. District Attorney Scott Thomas has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters. Mr. Willis’ position is funded through a grant provided by the Governor’s Crime Commission.
The case against Bell serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of drug trafficking on our communities. As a result of this operation, Bell will spend the next 16 years behind bars, and countless lives will be forever changed. The people of North Carolina can rest assured that those who seek to peddle poison and destruction will be held accountable for their actions.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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