MORRISON – A Sterling drug dealer with two cocaine cases pending in Whiteside County court now is charged in a third.

Jamell A. Harris, 36, was free on bond in two other cocaine-dealing cases when he was charged Aug. 19 with dealing between 1 and 15 grams of the drug, which is punishable by four to 15 years in prison, and with possession of the same amount of cocaine, which carries a sentence of one to three years.

He pleaded not guilty Monday, and bond was set at $125,000. He is in the Whiteside County jail and has a preliminary hearing set for Sept. 11.

Harris also was charged Jan. 4 with dealing between 1 and 15 grams of cocaine, and on May 11, 2020, with dealing and possessing between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine. Dealing that amount is punishable by six to 30 years, while possession carries a sentence of four to 15 years.

Bond was set at $150,000 in the 2020 case and reduced to $75,000 on Aug. 19, 2020. He posted $7,500 that Sept. 1 and was freed. That bond, now likely to be forfeited because of the new charges, also was applied to the Jan. 4 case.

Finally, Harris also has a pending case involving three felony counts of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol with a suspended license and driving on a suspended license. Both charges carry a one- to three-year sentence.

He has a pretrial conference scheduled Sept. 27 and a jury trial date of Nov. 14 in both the 2020 and 2021 cases. Judge Trish Senneff has warned that there will be no more continuances in either case.

He is represented by attorney Michael Jarard of Chicago.

Harris has a lengthy criminal history in Whiteside County.

On Aug. 29, 2006, he was sentenced to 2½ years of probation for destroying evidence; he violated his probation and was sentenced that Sept. 2 to a year in prison.

On July 29, 2009, he got 1½ years for mob action; two counts of aggravated battery were dismissed.

On April 30, 2013, he was found guilty at a bench trial of one count of dealing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school and not guilty of a second count. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

On Sept. 29, 2020, he was sentenced to three years for dealing narcotics; a second case involving charges in connection with dealing and possessing contraband in a penal institution, destroying evidence and possessing a controlled substance was dismissed.