Two men arrested last month after a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation culminated in the discovery of 222 pounds of methamphetamine in a storage facility in Little Rock were arraigned in federal court Thursday on drug conspiracy, possession and distribution charges.
Michael Wayne Birdsong, 61, of Little Rock, and Aaron Bradley Williams, 40, of North Little Rock, were both arrested May 11 after investigators discovered the drugs in a storage unit at U-Haul Moving & Storage on Geyer Springs Rd. Both men have been in custody at the Pulaski County jail since their arrest.
A federal indictment handed up June 8 charged Birdsong with one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Williams was charged with conspiracy and possession with intent.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerome Kearney advised both men that on the conspiracy and possession counts, each faced a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine. He told Birdsong that on the distribution count, he could face a possible sentence of 5 to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. He appointed Christophe Tarver with the Federal Public Defenders Office in Little Rock to represent Birdsong, and Jordan Tinsley of the Tinsley and Youngdahl law firm in Little Rock to represent Williams.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant is prosecuting the case, which is set for trial before Chief U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. on June 25.
According to the complaint, on May 2, a confidential source told investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration Little Rock District Office Task Force Group that the source could purchase a half-pound of methamphetamine from Birdsong for $2,000 at Birdsong's Little Rock home. Two days later, the complaint said, the controlled buy was made, during which time Williams' car was seen at Birdsong's home.
In the ensuing investigation, the complaint said, officers monitored Birdsong's movements over the next several days and tailed Birdsong and Williams from Birdsong's home to a U-Haul Moving & Storage facility on Geyer Springs Rd., where they saw the two men come out of the storage facility with a black roller duffle bag that they placed in Williams' car.
On May 11, the complaint said, after investigators reviewed security video and activity logs at the storage facility, a drug dog was brought to the site. The complaint said the dog alerted on the unit rented by Birdsong, so the Little Rock Police Department executed a search warrant at the storage unit and seized approximately 222 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately five pounds of marijuana.