Marijuana trafficker linked to legal dispensary

GOLETA — Narcotics detectives took a 36-year-old Goleta resident into custody two weeks ago on multiple marijuana trafficking charges.

Jason James Bell

Jason James Bell, 36, was arrested Nov. 19 by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s authorities on charges of transportation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sales. Bell was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail and is currently held on $100,000 bail.

According to sheriff’s spokesman Drew Sugars, detectives contacted Bell during the service of multiple search warrants at residences in Goleta, just north of Santa Barbara.

“We had information of an illegal marijuana trafficker in the area,” Sugars said, “which indicated an unreported burglary from a local dispensary’s storage facility.”

When contacted during the service of the search warrants, Bell was in possession of more than 50 pounds of high grade marijuana, scales and packaging materials. The estimated value of all evidence seized from Bell exceeds $160,000.

While the identity of the legal marijuana dispensary is currently being withheld pending further investigation of the burglary, narcotics detectives encourage anyone with information to contact them at (805) 681-4100.