Miami Gardens Shooter Gets 22 Years

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – James Benjamin Bell, 52, is headed to federal prison for 22 years after admitting to shooting a man in the face outside a Miami Gardens convenience store in 2016. Bell, already a convicted felon, was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm – a charge that carried a hefty penalty, and one the court clearly didn’t take lightly.

The sentencing, handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham, represents 264 months behind bars, followed by five years of supervised release. The incident, which occurred on May 31, 2016, unfolded after an argument between Bell and another man escalated quickly. A 911 call from a bystander provided crucial details to responding officers, including a description of the shooter and the vehicle he fled in.

Miami Gardens Police quickly located the getaway car, and Bell was apprehended exiting the passenger side. He was wearing clothing matching the description given by the witness. The firearm used in the shooting wasn’t on Bell himself, but rather in his girlfriend’s purse. Ballistics tests confirmed the weapon found in the purse was the one that fired the casing recovered at the scene of the shooting, tying Bell directly to the crime.

Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg, along with Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, lauded the collaborative effort that led to Bell’s conviction. Special Agent in Charge Peter Forcelli of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Acting Chief Cynthia Dawson Machanic of the Miami Gardens Police Department were also involved in the investigation. The joint operation underscores the commitment of federal and local agencies to tackling gun violence in South Florida.

Bell previously pled guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The fact that he was already a convicted felon at the time of the shooting significantly aggravated the offense, removing any possibility of leniency. Prosecutors Marianne Curtis, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Breezye Telfair successfully argued for the maximum sentence.

This case serves as a stark reminder that illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and using that weapon to commit violence, will be met with severe consequences. Details of the case and related court documents are available on the websites of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls) and the District Court for the Southern District of Florida (www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov).