Atlantic City Man Sentenced To Prison Stealing Ex-Girlfriends Handgun

Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 6:30 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

EGG HARBOR, NJ.- On Monday, November 18, 2024, Atlantic County Prosecutor William E. Reynolds reported on Thursday, November 14, 2024, Dennis Bell, 39, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, appeared in Atlantic County Superior Court and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury to five years in New Jersey State Prison with a one-year parole ineligibility for his previously entered guilty plea to Unlawful Possession of a Handgun.

     The State Prison sentence stems from an investigation that began on February 12, 2024, when members of the Egg Harbor Township Police Department responded to a report of a domestic dispute between a woman and her ex-boyfriend, who was in possession of a weapon, at 247 Leap Street in the Township.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers found a man, identified as Dennis Bell, in a bedroom of the residence, being held down by his teenage son. During the initial investigation by responding Officers, Bell told them that he had come to the home to return the handgun to his ex-girlfriend.

     Police Officers spoke with Bell’s ex-girlfriend, who told them that she noticed her handgun was missing from her safe and that Bell was the only other person who had the safe’s combination. She further told Police Officers that she called Bell to confront him about the missing handgun, which he denied.

     Bell subsequently arrived at the home unannounced, entered a bedroom, pulled out the handgun, and pointed it at his ex-girlfriend while yelling at her. She quickly called for her son, who came into the bedroom and pinned his father down on the bed until police arrived.

     Police were able to locate the handgun and secured it. The weapon was identified as a Taurus G3C 9mm loaded with ten hollow point bullets and one in the chamber; at that time, Bell was taken into custody and charged.