Brunswick County Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm Charges

 NEW BERN, N.C. – A Shallotte man was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for Cocaine, Cocaine Base (Crack), and Firearm violations.

According to court documents, Anthony Junior Bell, 50, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine and 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack), Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine and 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack), and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon on November 13, 2019.

On December 18, 2018, investigators with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) in Bolivia, North Carolina, performed a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by Bell. A child was seated in the back seat next to Bell.

A K-9 unit provided a positive alert for the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Investigators seized a set of brass knuckles, 34.38 grams of cocaine base (crack), and 15.89 grams of cocaine from Bell.

Bell admitted that over the prior six months, he had distributed approximately one kilogram of cocaine.

Bell also admitted that he had a firearm at his residence in Shallotte, North Carolina. Agents went to that residence and seized a .38 caliber handgun. Bell had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment, and so he was prohibited from possessing firearms.

On March 29, 2019, Bell was arrested. As he was being processed at the Brunswick County Detention Center, Bell removed 0.81 grams of heroin from his pants pocket and attempted to hide it by dropping it behind a computer at the intake desk.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.  For additional information about this initiative, click here https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-95-FL-1.