Austin man with three active drug cases charged in a fourth

Published 7:02 pm Monday, November 27, 2023

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An Austin man with three active cases involving drug possession, use and sales has been charged in a fourth case.

Casey Steven Bell, 25, was in Mower County District Court on Monday where he was charged with seven total counts including two felony third-degree drug possession charges and felony fifth-degree drug possession.

He was also charged with four gross misdemeanors that included second-degree DWI-refuse to submit to a chemical test, unlawful possession of a firearm by an ineligible person, unlawful possession of ammunition by an ineligible person and driving after cancellation-inimical to public safety.

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According to the court complaint, Bell was found slumped over the steering wheel of a gray Ford Escape at 1203 Oakland Place SE at around 4 p.m. Nov. 24. Officers arriving at the scene discovered a broken pipe on Bell’s lap, along with scattered and burnt tinfoil throughout the vehicle.

During a search of Bell, officers allegedly discovered a container with 10.2 grams of a white powdery substance, along with a yellow tablet, which turned out to be Alprazolam. According to the National Institutes of Health, Alprazolam is often prescribed for panic and anxiety disorders, but is also known to be used recreationally as it causes euphoria among other effects.

A search of the vehicle allegedly turned up another container with white powdery substance along with a glass jar containing 30 M30 pills, along with a large container of .22 rounds of ammunition, a revolver with one round and additional M30 pills, one burnt pill and more burnt tinfoil.

A large amount of cash was also allegedly discovered.

Bell was taken to the Mower County Jail after being medically cleared by Mayo Ambulance and while at the jail refused sobriety testing, saying, “No, there wasn’t any point.” He also refused a blood or urine test after a warrant was obtained. He was transported to Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin to again be medically cleared.

However, according to the complaint, while at the jail another bottle was located on Bell’s person that allegedly contained 80 blue pills determined to be Cyclobenzaprine Hydrochloride (used for pain relief), 64 Alprazolam and five Quetiapine pills used in treating, among other things, schizophrenia and acute manic episodes.

In one of the three prior cases dating to 2022, when he was living in Albert Lea, Bell was discovered in a home during a search warrant execution on a separate case. According to the court complaint, Bell was found in possession of M30 pills, as well as a silver cylinder with white powdery residue inside of it.

A wallet was also discovered on his person containing a snorting straw, a gift card with white powdery residue similar to that found in the cylinder, and multiple small baggies wrapped up with a black hair tie, though they were free of content or residue.

He was also arrested for allegedly selling M30 pills to a confidential informant in November of 2022, and then in July of this year, Bell was again discovered slumped in a vehicle.

A search allegedly turned up 18.11 grams of M30 pills along with a 9mm Taurus PT 111 Pro handgun with no magazine or ammunition. A baggy containing a white powdery substance was also located along with drug paraphernalia.

Bell is currently in Mower County Jail on $100,000 bail with no conditions and $25,000 with conditions. His next court date related to this most recent case is an initial appearance on Dec. 11.

A pair of pretrial hearings and scheduling conference are scheduled for Jan. 5, 2024.

Bell has prior convictions for DWI-under the influence of a controlled substance dating back to 2019.