Expired registration leads to drug and weapon charges for Sarasota man
A convicted felon is facing a possible return to prison after being stopped for an expired vehicle registration by a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Clark Road near Interstate 75 around 7 p.m. on June 3.
Terrance Bell, Jr., 26, was arrested on felony charges of possession of MDMA, otherwise known as Molly or ecstasy, as well possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Bell’s expired tags were noticed by a patrolling deputy as Bell pulled into a nearby 7-Eleven at which time the traffic stop was initiated. According to the police report, the deputy was able to detect the odor of marijuana immediately upon making contact with the vehicle.
Bell was unable to provide identification at the time, mainly because his license had been suspended for a third time. As he exited his vehicle on command, the deputy noticed the MDMA pills in the driver’s side door, which weighed out at 9.3 grams, according to the report.
The deputy discovered a loaded 9mm pistol in the glove box with additional ammunition, the report states, and a field test came back positive on the pills being MDMA. The report further states that upon checking Bell’s criminal history, it was determined he was ineligible to own a firearm based on prior felony convictions.
Bell was transported to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for further interview. According to the report, Bell admitted knowledge of the handgun being in the car, as well as knowledge of being in possession of the pills. The report states he also admitted to “being a regular cannabis user and that he smoked cannabis earlier in the day.”
Bell has been previously arrested on charges of altering the identification number on a weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of crack cocaine, and possession of marijuana, all in 2018, according to Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office jail records. In 2017, Bell was arrested on charges of resisting arrest without violence after being found in contempt of court, failing to appear on a third driving while license charge.