Stockpile of weapons linked to man busted for 50k fentanyl pills, police say

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Investigators say a drug bust that recovered 50,000 fentanyl pills in Cherokee County has led to more arrests -- and a huge stockpile of weapons.

Last week, police arrested a husband and wife at their home in Woodstock in what authorities say is the largest fentanyl bust authorities have ever had in Cherokee County.

Frederick and Elizabeth Michelson both face several charges including trafficking heroin and fentanyl.

Channel 2's Tom Regan was in Cherokee County Tuesday, where investigators said that they have linked Frederick Michelson to a huge stockpile of weapons in a storage locker in Paulding County.

Police have arrested Michelson's mother in connection with the weapons.

Police said the weapons were found in a storage locker similar to another locker in Cherokee County where drug agents found the fentanyl last week. They say Michelson used money from drug sales to buy the mini arsenal.

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Investigators said they found nearly 20 firearms, including several assault-style rifles, in the Paulding County locker.

"They were mostly AR-15-style rifles in varying calibers, a shotgun on an AR-15 platform," said Phil Price, Cherokee County's multi-agency narcotics squad commander. "There was also a modern version of a MAC-10 machine gun."

Investigators also seized bump stocks that can enable rifles to fire rapidly.

Investigators say they discovered the weapons after finding a receipt in Cherokee County. Michelson's mother, Donna Brown, is now accused of trying to hide evidence and earnings in North Carolina.

Police seized at least two vehicles and a Rolex watch from her property.

"These people just have a tremendous amount of disposable income because of this large operation," Price said.

Customers at the storage facility said they were glad investigators discovered the weapons.

"That's insane," Kevin Williams said. "Good to get them off the streets, though. It's just astonishing."

Michelson and his wife are accused of selling thousands of fentanyl pills that they made to look like Xanax, according to authorities.

Investigators said Michelson sold most of the drugs on the dark web for bitcoin. They are now trying to track down that digital currency.

"We're working with other agencies to try to determine where that is," Price said.

Investigators say there is no consistency in how the pills were made, which could have proved deadly.

"You get one that has nothing, and then you take two to three to feel the effect and all of a sudden, you're dead," Price said.

Agents said they expect to serve more search warrants and make more arrests in the case.

The Georgia Department of Health says from 2000 to 2017, overdose deaths went up 245 percent, which adds up to more than 1,000 deaths in 2017.

Authorities say fentanyl and heroin were largely behind a jump in opioid deaths that began in 2013.

Cox Media Group