KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) found a box of Cocoa Puffs cereal containing methamphetamine after investigating a man for allegedly making threats towards a business.
According to federal court documents, officers with KDPS were investigating 50-year-old William Matthew Smith for possible connections to explosives found near a Kalamazoo business on multiple occasions.
On Nov. 3, 2021, employees at Schupan Aluminum Sales heard a device explode near them. Five days later on Nov. 8, 2021, Schupan employees reported a suspicious package, that was found to be an improvised explosive device by officers with the bomb squad.
Investigators believe both explosives were created by Smith.
According to the court documents, Smith admitted to building and detonating a device called a "thunder mug" near Schupan on Nov. 8.
They allegedly found additional materials at the man's home which linked him to the Nov. 3 incident as well.
Smith was arrested on Nov. 10, 2021, when he consented to a search of himself and the car he was in, a 2011 Jeep Wrangler with a trailer attached. Authorities say they found fireworks and a black 2800k volt stun gun at the time.
KDPS also discovered the trailer attached to the car was stolen.
Shortly after the arrest, authorities say they searched Smith's home and found .84 grams of meth in his kitchen, a bag containing 32.48 grams of meth in his bedroom, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs cereal box with 430.93 grams of methamphetamine inside.
When KDPS impounded Smith’s car, they claim they found another bag with an additional 13.45 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale.
In the documents, Investigators say that Smith told them a now-dead friend introduced him to using meth about eight months prior to his arrest, telling them, “I did try to sell some”.
Smith also apparently claimed all the methamphetamine found in his home was left behind by the deceased friend.
A second search of Smith’s home allegedly led to the discovery of another bag containing 25.78 grams of meth, a 9mm Springfield handgun, and a .45 caliber ACP Roughneck Derringer, both of which were found in the laundry room, and a Remington Express 12-gauge shotgun in his garage.
Smith has no prior convictions, and now faces three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms, one count of possession of a firearm made in violation of the national firearms act, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.
