Overdose Death Leads to “Walking Drug Store”

Police describe an Escanaba man facing charges coming out of a man’s death last week as a walking drug store.

48-year-old Mike Wellman is facing 4 drug-related charges.

Those charges come from the death of 20-year-old Andre Benson of Gladstone.

Benson died last Thursday of what was likely a prescription drug overdose.

They think he’d snorted the drug Suboxone, ground into powdered form.

The investigation led police to Wellman.

They say Wellman had so many prescription drugs on him, when they arrested him, that he was like a walking pharmacy.

They also say they found him with marijuana and about $600 cash.

Wellman was arrested on Friday, but his name hadn’t been released until now.

Police say more arrests are likely to follow.