Bloomington man detained, accused of selling meth and MDMA

A 40-year-old man from Bloomington, Dane B. Belton, is currently being held in the McLean County Jail due to multiple drug charges. The charges include two counts of unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, along with several other counts of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and a controlled substance. Additionally, he faces a charge of resisting a peace officer, categorized as a Class A misdemeanor.

Belton appeared in court for the first time on Thursday afternoon, where Judge Scott Black and Assistant State's Attorney Alex Shane addressed the prosecution's concerns regarding his potential dangerousness. The probable cause statement discussed an incident that occurred on March 26, when Bloomington officers spotted Belton at a coffee shop and recognized a vehicle associated with him that had an active arrest warrant.

When approached by officers, Belton initially misidentified himself as James Jefferies, but police quickly confirmed his identity and the existence of the warrant. Despite attempts to arrest him, Belton resisted by pulling away from the officers. During the search, law enforcement located drugs both on his person and within his vehicle.

Specifically, officers found 8 grams of methamphetamine and $761 in cash in Belton's front pants pocket. A further search of the vehicle revealed an additional 57 grams of methamphetamine packaged in a manner consistent with distribution, along with drug packaging materials and a substance believed to be ecstasy, which tested positive for MDMA.

During the hearing, Belton’s public defender proposed conditions such as home confinement and electronic monitoring for his release. However, the prosecution highlighted Belton's lengthy criminal history and outstanding warrant as reasons for continued detention. Ultimately, the judge ruled in favor of the prosecution, deciding that Belton would remain in custody until his next scheduled arraignment on April 11.