A man accused of a 2022 shooting in Port Charlotte is accused of encouraging his brother to ignore a subpoena to testify at his trial.
Nicholas Jerome Bell, 44, is facing multiple charges including attempted 2nd-degree murder, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, officials said.
According to court documents, Bell’s brother, William Grant, is listed as a witness.
Grant was reportedly communicating with the state between Sept 16 and Sept 20. The communication was about trial and finalizing his travel plans.
The state was concerned about tampering, according to reports, which led them to collecting phone calls between the defendant and the defendant’s family.
During a phone call on Sept. 20, documents say Bell told Grant to not cooperate and that the subpoena means nothing.
On Sept. 21, documents say Bell called his sister, Dewana Bell, who is also listed as a witness and told her to get money for Grant’s bail.
Another phone call revealed Bell telling another person to tell Grant to block the state’s number, per documents.
Due to the findings, Bell’s trial has been moved from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22.
According to court documents, Bell has an “Order to Show Cause” set for Oct. 7 at 9:30 a.m.
The shooting happened on June 11, 2022, around 6:40 a.m. at a home on Coulton Avenue. One person was taken to the hospital with injuries.
An arrest warrant was issued for Bell the same day with the 41-year-old’s image being widely shared as a most wanted fugitive by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
You can count on NBC2 to provide updates as they are received.
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Source: nbc-2
