Bartholomew Keeton Harralson, a 47-year-old resident of Atlanta, Georgia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia. He faces charges related to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Additionally, he is charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Authorities allege that Harralson had 28 firearms in his possession, including a machine gun, alongside hundreds of thousands of pills containing fentanyl and other drugs.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented on the case: “Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, DEA, and our U.S. Attorney, Georgians are safer following this drug bust. This defendant was using state-of-the-art pill presses to produce poison on a massive scale — he will now face severe consequences for his alleged crimes as we continue to shut down fentanyl networks across the country.”
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg added: “This armed felon allegedly ran a massive fentanyl pill pressing operation in our community, producing enough deadly fentanyl to potentially kill millions of people.” He emphasized that due to effective collaboration among law enforcement agencies, Harralson's operation has been dismantled.
Paul Brown from the FBI highlighted the threat posed by such operations: “The scale of this fentanyl operation—run by a convicted felon—posed a grave threat to our community.” He noted the combination of high-powered firearms and industrial pill-pressing equipment as indicative of the dangerous intersection between drug trafficking and violence.
Jae W. Chung from the DEA stressed their commitment: “The DEA and our partners are working hard day in and day out to protect our communities from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking.”
Details presented in court reveal that law enforcement executed federal search warrants at two residences associated with Harralson on June 5th. They discovered significant quantities of drugs including over 56 kilograms of fentanyl and various firearms at his Atlanta-area residence. A subsequent search at his Douglasville residence uncovered additional equipment for manufacturing pills along with more drugs.
The public is reminded that an indictment only contains charges; Harralson is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt at trial.
The investigation involves multiple agencies including the FBI, DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, South Fulton Police Department, and Douglasville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Forsyth III is prosecuting the case under Operation Take Back America.
For more information contact U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office via email or phone provided above.