Suspect in death of Warren woman faces drug, weapons charges

Staff report

CLEVELAND

James E. Brooks, 40, who is charged with abuse of a corpse in the death of Alesha Bell, 18, of Warren, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on six drug and weapons charges.

Brooks, who most recently lived on state Route 6 in Roaming Shores, was in the Ashtabula County Jail after being arrested in August, when drug investigators armed with a search warrant found human bones on the property where Brooks lived.

Brooks also was charged with drug offenses at that time. But a federal indictment in mid-October and a superseding indictment Tuesday have resulted in him being held in federal custody.

The superseding indictment charges him with distributing heroin, distributing crack cocaine, possessing a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The indictment accuses Brooks of distributing crack cocaine Aug. 12, 13 and 17. He also distributed heroin on Aug. 17, the indictment says.

Brooks possessed a firearm during the Aug. 17, drug-trafficking crime and possessed a Walther pistol and two Winchester shotguns, the indictment says.

Brooks was forbidden from possessing firearms because of previous felony convictions for drug abuse, burglary, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, escape and felonious assault in Trumbull County.

His federal charges are being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach’s office following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office; Warren Police Department; Ohio State Highway Patrol; Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation; and Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force.