By WECT Staff | January 7, 2021 at 3:25 PM EST – Updated January 7 at 3:25 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A Wilmington gang member will spend the next four years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to heroin and firearm charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Aaron Bell, 25, was sentenced on Wednesday on charges of distribution of a quantity of heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Prosecutors say that on Aug. 8, 2019, an undercover agent with the Wilmington Police Department made a controlled purchase of heroin from Bell in the area of Voltaire Place.
The investigation further revealed that Bell was responsible for distributing more than 65 grams of heroin in the Wilmington area from Oct. 2018 to Aug. 2019.
On May 15, 2020, while Bell was being arrested on outstanding warrants, police found him in possession of a handgun. He told officers that he was carrying the firearm because he was afraid he was being targeted by a rival gang.
Prosecutors said he was prohibited from possessing the gun due to a previous felony conviction.
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