A Detroit man who participated in a two-day crime spree that entailed breaking into a gun store in Dearborn Heights and taking almost fifty firearms has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison. According to a statement from United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison, Deon Bell, 29, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, which will run consecutively with a 102-month sentence from a separate armed robbery of a T-Mobile store. Ison and James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), made the statement prior to this sentencing.
In the first burglary, Bell enlisted a group of young males, including at least one minor, who then stole a car, crashed it into the front of a gun store, and took 22 firearms, according to court filings. Notably, Bell and two other children committed the same act the next evening, stealing an additional twenty-five firearms using the same technique. This second burglary was followed by a high-speed police chase that endangered more lives. While some of the stolen firearms have been found by law enforcement in other investigations, many are still missing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Ison denounced Bell’s activities, citing his criminal past that includes narcotics trafficking, carrying a hidden weapon, third-degree criminal sexual conduct, and armed robbery. Ison said, “Stealing cars, crashing them into gun stores to rob them, and putting nearly 50 stolen guns on the street endangered our community in so many ways,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Additionally, Bell was heavily condemned by police for his technique of enlisting juveniles in his illicit activities.
James Deir, Special Agent in Charge, also offered commentary on the case, highlighting Bell’s detrimental effects on public safety. “Deon Bell poses a threat to the safety of our community,” Deir stated. In order to bring illicit guns into our town, he devised a burglary operation. According to the Justice Department, Mr. Bell also cowardly enlisted and coerced young people in our town to carry out his illegal activities, endangering the safety of our community.
With early support from the Dearborn Heights Police Department, ATF lead the investigation that resulted in Bell’s conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon, Meghan Bean, and Erin Ramamurthy handled the prosecution.
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