A gas station owner has been charged with several federal crimes stemming from his involvement with a Detroit-based stash house that held over 40 kilograms of fentanyl, a pill press, and a variety of other materials used to manufacture fentanyl pills.
Court documents say law enforcement executed search warrants at three locations connected to Barry Willis, 55, a resident of Clinton Township and the owner of the gas station in Detroit and his suspected stash house in Detroit.
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Officials say they recovered over 40 kilograms of fentanyl in both pill and powder form, as well as a hoard of materials for manufacturing fentanyl pills, such as a pill press, narcotics scales, and drug recipes.
The 55-year-old man has been indicted for possession of over 400 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
The Clinton Township native faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted.
“This case represents the largest law enforcement seizure of fentanyl in the state of Michigan to date. We are incredibly proud of our law enforcement partners who conducted this investigation and recovered these deadly substances before they could harm members of our community.”
U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison
“This amount of fentanyl has the potential to provide nearly two deadly doses to every man, woman, and child living in the state of Michigan. We will continue to work with our partners to pursue anyone pushing poisons into our communities and bring them to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Greene
“This major seizure of fentanyl has saved lives. The great partnerships we have with law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels in southeast Michigan enable us to make these types of investigations successful.”
Livonia police Chief Thomas Goralski
