What started as a traffic stop on a bicycle in Delta County's Garden Township on Sunday turned into a major haul for state troopers, who say they seized methamphetamine and a stockpile of firearms after the rider tried to keep going. Authorities report that a trooper watched the bicyclist roll through an intersection and attempted a stop, but the rider continued pedaling until he reached a nearby house. In the end, officers say they collected 16 guns in total, including a long gun reported stolen in 2016, along with meth and prescription pills. The man was arrested on multiple felony counts, and his bond was set at $25,000.
Traffic stop on bike leads to 16 gun haul, police say
According to ClickOnDetroit, a trooper attempted to stop 28-year-old Michael Riggers on Sunday in Garden Township, roughly halfway between Escanaba and Manistique. Instead of immediately pulling over, Riggers kept riding until he reached a nearby home, where the stop finally happened. Police say they found a concealed pistol, methamphetamine and prescription pills on Riggers, and add that the pills were not prescribed to him.
Investigators then searched a Rapid River-area residence, where they report finding another pistol, 14 long guns and more methamphetamine. One of those long guns had been reported stolen in 2016, according to the account. On Monday, Riggers was charged with possession of methamphetamine, carrying a concealed weapon, maintaining a drug house, possession of analogues and resisting or obstructing a police officer, the report states.
Carrying concealed without a license under state law
Michigan law makes it a felony to carry a concealed pistol without a license, as outlined by the Michigan Legislature. Police say Riggers did not have a concealed pistol license, a detail that could weigh heavily in the case. The arrest also comes as lawmakers in Lansing are debating whether to scrap that licensing requirement altogether, with recently proposed bills that would allow permitless concealed carry in the state, a move reported by WNEM.
Federal context: meth and stolen guns
Traffic stops like this tend to get law enforcement's full attention in part because of broader drug and gun trends. Methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs continue to drive crime and public safety concerns nationwide, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration's 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment from the DEA. On the firearms side, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives highlights crime-gun tracing and ballistic databases as key tools for linking recovered weapons to thefts and violent incidents, resources investigators lean on in multigun seizures such as this, per the ATF.
Charges, penalties and next steps
The charges against Riggers combine drug and weapons counts that can carry serious prison time under Michigan law. "Maintaining a drug house" is prosecuted under the state's controlled substances laws, and penalties tied to MCL 333.7405 and related sections are detailed in sentencing tables from the Michigan Judicial Institute. Carrying a concealed pistol without a license is also a felony-level offense, and Delta County prosecutors are expected to determine how to proceed once investigators finish processing the evidence.
Bond was set at $25,000, and officials did not immediately release court dates or additional procedural details. The bust adds to ongoing enforcement efforts aimed at cutting into illegal drug activity and the flow of stolen firearms in the Upper Peninsula.
