Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Michael Termaine Bell, a 43-year-old resident of Marianna, Florida, has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple drug and firearms charges. The charges include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute those substances, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “This defendant is precisely the kind of violent, drug trafficking offender that Operation Take Back America was launched to capture and remove from our communities. My office remains committed to delivering more successful prosecutions like this until our streets are safe and drug-free.”
According to court documents, investigators began tracking Bell in 2023 as a significant narcotics distributor in Jackson County, Florida. On April 18, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bell’s residence and family property. Authorities seized over 1,000 grams of cocaine, more than 3,400 grams of marijuana, five firearms, and over $10,000 in cash. Bell was later arrested in Panama City while carrying cocaine, marijuana, and a loaded firearm. Records show he is a repeat convicted felon.
Bell faces mandatory minimum sentences totaling at least 20 years—10 years for the drug offenses and five years each for the firearms charges related to drug trafficking—with the possibility of life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric Welch are prosecuting the case.
Sentencing is set for April 23, 2026 at 1:00 pm before U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative aimed at using Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration issues as well as eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in violent crime or human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 principal litigating offices under direction from the Attorney General. More information about its work can be found on its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
