McHenry County sheriff's No. 2 fugitive arrested with eight guns and narcotics

Michael A. Smith was taken into custody on October 30 after deputies found eight guns and various narcotics at his residence.

The 36-year-old resident of unincorporated McHenry was the second most wanted individual on the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office list. He was sought for charges related to the manufacture or delivery of cannabis.

Deputies went to Smith’s home in the 2600 block of South Riverside Drive in the afternoon to execute multiple felony warrants. Court documents state that Smith attempted to escape on an electric scooter. He then pulled away from officers and engaged in a physical struggle before being secured.

The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District responded to the address around 2:45 p.m. following a report that a suspect had been tasered. It is unclear if Smith was transported to a hospital, though he did not go directly to the jail.

Inside the home, officers recovered eight firearms. Two of these guns, a black Smith & Wesson with a silver slide and a black Glock, were reported stolen in Indiana. These specific weapons are linked to police cases in Hammond and Gary. A .50-caliber cartridge was also found on the property.

Deputies seized 1,040 grams of cannabis, 6 grams of heroin, 6 grams of fentanyl, and 6 grams of methamphetamine. They also recovered cocaine and more than 100 pills. The pills included 103 tramadol, 24 amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, 12 alprazolam, 4 buprenorphine, and 2 clonazepam tablets. Officers additionally found less than 50 grams of psilocybin, a digital scale with white powder, and hundreds of baggies used for packaging.

Smith was charged with eight counts of armed habitual criminal and nine counts of unlawful possession of a weapon or ammunition by a felon. He also faces two counts of possession of a stolen firearm and multiple drug possession charges. One count for resisting a peace officer was included in the complaint.

Judge Cynthia Lamb of McHenry County granted a petition to detain Smith pending trial on Thursday afternoon. She determined that Smith poses a real and present threat to community safety and has a high likelihood of fleeing. Lamb noted that GPS monitoring would not be sufficient because there are no specific locations to keep him away from. She argued that home monitoring would allow him to continue selling narcotics.

Lamb cited Smith’s prior record in her ruling, including a 2012 Cook County conviction for possession of a controlled substance. Smith was also convicted in McHenry County on January 28 for manufacture or delivery of cannabis. He was on felony probation for that case when the new arrest occurred. A grand jury indicted him in September for aggravated fleeing in a May incident where he allegedly drove over 100 mph through two municipalities.

Smith is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on December 2.