29-year-old Lawrence man sentenced to 43 months in prison for drug distribution

A 29-year-old Lawrence man will serve 54 months in prison after having pleaded guilty to cultivation or distribution of controlled substances.

On Thursday, District Judge Paula B. Martin sentenced Kirby K. Bell to 43 months with the department of corrections stemming from a plea agreement last month.

Bell pleaded guilty on Feb. 7 to the distribution charge while charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, endangering a child and marijuana possession were dropped.

A state prosecutor had accused Bell of committing the crimes on Nov. 8, 2012, which is when Lawrence Police seized 19 grams of crack cocaine, three grams of marijuana, baggies and cellphones from Bell in the 1100 block of Tennessee Street. Three children between the ages of 1 and 3 were present at the time of the seizure, according to police records.

Bell has a previous conviction in Douglas County in 2010 for possession of a precursor with intent to use to manufacture a controlled substance. He was sentenced to probation but Martin revoked the probation as part of Thursday’s sentence. Bell will now serve 11 months for the 2010 conviction to be followed by the 43 months handed down Thursday.