Atlanta Man Charged in Massive Fentanyl Pill Operation

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia has indicted Bartholomew Keeton Harralson, 47, of Atlanta, on multiple drug and firearms charges following a large-scale seizure of narcotics, cash, weapons, and pill-pressing equipment.

Harralson was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a federal search warrant was executed on June 5, 2025, at Harralson’s residence in the Atlanta area. Investigators discovered more than 56 kilograms of fentanyl, 84 kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly 10 kilograms of heroin, and about four kilograms of cocaine in the form of powder and hundreds of thousands of pressed pills. Nine firearms were recovered, including one converted into a machine gun. Authorities also seized $145,000 in cash and a book titled “How to Avoid Federal Drug Conspiracy & Firearms Charges.” Harralson was arrested at the scene.

Later that day, a second search was conducted at Harralson’s Douglasville residence. There, agents found two industrial-grade pill press machines capable of producing up to 25,000 pills per hour, three hydraulic presses used for forming kilogram-sized drug bricks, 37 more kilograms of fentanyl, 13 kilograms of methamphetamine, over eight kilograms of heroin, and six kilograms of cocaine — all in both pill and powder form. Nineteen additional firearms were also discovered, bringing the total to 28, including a machine gun.

Federal authorities say Harralson’s operation had the capacity to manufacture enough fentanyl to potentially kill millions.

“The scale of this fentanyl operation—run by a convicted felon—posed a grave threat to our community,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The presence of high-powered firearms alongside industrial pill-pressing equipment underscores the deadly convergence of drug trafficking and violence.”

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Harralson currently facing federal prosecution.