DA Warren Montgomery reports this week that a St. Tammany Parish jury found 35 YO Christopher “Winky” Bell Jr., of Slidell, guilty of Two Counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Two Counts of Obstruction of Justice.
On May 26, 2019, the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call from the Alton area where family members of a homicide victim were gathered for a memorial. The crowd became alarmed and began running when they noticed an armed Bell circling the area.
After obtaining a description of the vehicle Bell was in, officers descended on the area.
After a brief pursuit officers located Bell and the 2 firearms he attempted to hide under a residence.
The case was tried by Assistant District Attorneys Blair Alford and Tiffany Dover.
A 12-person jury deliberated for about an hour before handing down the guilty verdict.
Bell has previously been convicted for 3 counts of aggravated battery in 2005, illegal possession of stolen property in 2012, again for illegal possession of stolen property in 2013, possession of cocaine in 2013, aggravated battery, aggravated criminal damage to property , and hit and run driving involving serious bodily injury in 2014.
He is also awaiting trial on charge(s) of second-degree battery from May 2019, battery from June 2019, battery from February 2020, obscenity from August 2020 and battery from December 2020.
He will be sentenced by District Judge Vincent Lobello on January 20, 2022.
