Man Charged With Assaulting A U.S. Marshal

ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of assaulting a federal officer, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The one-count indictment named Ryan Bell, 44, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, on January 15, 2013, Bell assaulted a Special Deputy United States Marshal, a member of the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Task Force, who was engaged in official duties at the time of the assault.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Marshal's Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.