MIAMI GARDENS, FL – A grim tale of gun violence has reached its conclusion as James Benjamin Bell, a 52-year-old Miami-Dade resident, was convicted in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm following a shooting incident outside a Miami Gardens convenience store.
Bell, who faced charges for the shooting and illegal firearm possession, now awaits sentencing, which has been scheduled for April 20, 2017. The mandatory minimum sentence Bell could receive is a staggering fifteen years behind bars, should he be deemed an armed career criminal by the court.
The May 31, 2016, incident began with a verbal dispute outside the convenience store that escalated into gunfire, leaving one man injured. The quick thinking of a bystander who dialed 911 and provided a description of the shooter and the getaway car proved pivotal in the investigation. Miami Gardens Police Department’s swift action led to Bell’s arrest.
Upon searching the vehicle Bell exited, police officers discovered a firearm in his girlfriend’s purse that matched the casings found at the scene. Bell, already a convicted felon prohibited from owning firearms, now faces the prospect of years behind bars for this senseless act of violence.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, alongside Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and ATF Special Agent in Charge Peter Forcelli, commended the investigative efforts of all agencies involved. The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Curtis and Assistant U.S. Attorney Breezye Telfair.
For more information on this case and related documents, visit the official websites of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls or the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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