Graniteville man gets 31 years for drug trafficking

Christopher Bell, 35, was sentenced to 380 months in prison - 31.7 years - to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

A Graniteville man who was convicted in August on federal drug trafficking charges was sentenced to 31 years in prison on Monday.

Christopher Bell, 35, was sentenced to 380 months in prison - 31.7 years - to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Bell was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and five kilograms or more of crack cocaine, as well as three substantive counts of distribution of a quantity of crack cocaine following his August 2011 trial, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney JD Rowell, who prosecuted the case.

Bell, along with several others, distributed crack cocaine from multiple mobile homes in the Breezy Hill community in Graniteville, according to a press release issued at the time of the conviction.

Agents made three controlled buys from Bell and his "associates" between November 2007 and May 2008, totaling 8.4 grams of crack cocaine.

Bell was arrested in July 2008 and gave statements to agents admitting that numerous suppliers sold him quarter kilogram quantities of cocaine, and that he used other members of his conspiracy to manufacture the powder cocaine into crack cocaine, according to the press release.

During trial, several of Bell's coconspirators testified that Bell allowed them to stay with him and provided them with crack in exchange for assisting him in distributing crack cocaine, according to the press release.

Bell could have received a minimum of 20 years to life in prison.

The case was investigated by agents of the Regional Anti-Gang Enforcement Task Force, which is made up of agents of the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, Aiken Department of Public Safety, The Edgefield County Sheriff's Office, the North Augusta Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Anna Dolianitis is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, as well as court and legal matters affecting Aiken County. She has been with the Aiken Standard since August 2010.