Mableton man facing federal drug charges after 60 pounds of fentanyl found in shed, officials say

A Mableton man is facing federal drug trafficking charges after investigators say they found nearly 60 pounds of fentanyl hiding in a shed behind a home he owned.

Early this month, a grand jury indicted Michael Antonio Cruz on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the charges stem from when federal agents executed search warrants at three homes in the area allegedly owned by Cruz.

Behind a home in Austell, agents found nearly 60 pounds of fentanyl inside dozens of wrapped and stamped bricks in a shed. At another home in Mableton, agents say they found scales, plastic bins with methamphetamine residue, vacuum sealing machines, and a false vent that hid more than $74,000 in cash.

"The staggering quantity of fentanyl Cruz allegedly possessed posed a critical threat to public health and safety. But for the intervention of law enforcement, the fentanyl could have reached the streets and had potentially fatal consequences," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. 

Cruz is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals awaiting further court proceedings.