ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A Rowan County man is in federal custody facing federal charges. The investigation involved detectives from the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, state troopers, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI.
In June, troopers pulled over a car Michael Todd Collins was in, and they said they found marijuana and a stolen rifle in the vehicle.
Federal court documents say that a former girlfriend of Collins told investigators in early August that Collins had "an arsenal of firearms."
Collins isn't allowed to own a gun because he's a convicted felon. He robbed an armored vehicle stealing $338,000. That wasn't his first brush with the law.
Karen Reed, a neighbor if his, told Channel 9 he comes from a wonderful family but hasn't been able to get his life together.
When officers blocked off her road Friday morning, she knew it had to do with Collins.
"They had their guns everywhere," Reed said. "I was sort of scared. I was praying at that point. I told one officer I have always prayed for Todd that he would turn his life around."
But she didn't know about his guns. Investigators said there were 21 guns in the home, on Collins Road. One source for the Sheriff's Office said Collins "concealed these weapons, their ammunition and other tactical gear inside a hidden room" and said "Collins always slept with a handgun or two under his pillow."
Investigators said they also found a marijuana grow operation at Collins' home. Collins will go before a judge on Sept. 12. Channel 9 tried to talk to Collins' family, but no one answered the home phone.