Police removed 196 firearms from the Ionia Township home of a Michigan prison officer charged with possession of methamphetamine, a county prosecutor said Feb. 23.
Ionia County Prosecutor Kyle Butler said that when police executed a search warrant at Casey Wagner’s home Feb. 20, they found a hoarder’s nest, with guns, ammunition clips, tear gas cannisters, trash and personal items strewn everywhere.
Wagner, 33, an arsenal sergeant at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility, was arraigned Feb. 23 in 64-A District Court in Ionia on felony charges of possession of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm while committing a felony. Magistrate David Wirth entered not guilty pleas for Wagner and set a $100,000 bond for his release. Wagner was released on bond Feb. 24, Ionia County Sheriff Charlie Noll said in an email.
Wagner was the subject of a 2025 Detroit Free Press investigation into long-standing complaints from neighbors about explosions coming from Wagner’s property and the lack of statewide controls over private gun ranges like the one Wagner built behind his home.
The Michigan State Police bomb squad “assisted with a search warrant and disposal of explosives that were located at the residence,” MSP Special Lt. Patrick Agema said in a Feb. 23 email.
One reason for the high bond is that Butler said Wagner is likely to face additional charges as the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office continues to process evidence.
Among the guns seized were sawed-off shotguns, which are illegal, and semi-automatic rifles that could be switched to fully automatic use, which are also illegal and could result in additional charges, Butler said.
Police also seized items that belong to the Michigan Department of Corrections, including riot helmets, tear gas cannisters, pepper spray, tear gas, a Taser, Taser cartridges, and a case of ammunition, Butler said. Wagner did not have permission to take those items home and an embezzlement charge is possible, he said.
Also, in light of Wagner’s job inside a prison, police were very concerned when they found “a large coat full of individual packaged bags of marijuana,” Butler said, apparently alluding to the possibility Wagner was involved in smuggling.
Jenni Riehle, a spokeswoman for the MDOC, said Feb. 23 that Wagner has been placed on a “stop order,” banning him from prison property, and is under investigation by the department.
Butler said Wagner admitted to investigators he is addicted to meth and had been using the drug for about five years, prior to which he was addicted to cocaine.
Given those facts and the condition of his home, along with a history of neighbors’ complaints about random explosions coming from Wagner’s property at all hours of the day and night, “the people have significant concerns about the defendant’s mental condition,” Butler said.
Wagner appeared at the hearing via Zoom from the sheriff’s office and said he understood the charges against him. He told the magistrate he planned to retain an attorney but did not yet know who he would retain.
As conditions of his bond, Wirth said he must abstain from alcohol and drugs, submit to drug testing and counseling, and not possess firearms or explosives. He set Wagner’s next court hearing for March 4.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cops seized nearly 200 guns from prison officer described as ‘hoarder’
Reporting by Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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