PITTSBORO - The Chatham County sheriff's department has charged a Pittsboro man with multiple drug and weapons offenses in a case that began with a report March 2 of shots fired near the suspect's home.

When answering the call, Deputy William Summers found Michael Wayne Smith, 45, of 2599 Mount Gilead Road, who was intoxicated and threatened deputies, according to a department news release. Smith was charged with a misdemeanor of communicating a threat and the felony possession of a firearm.

Deputies seized a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle and 30-round magazine.

On Friday, the county's vice-narcotics unit got a search warrant for Smith's house and found a Cobrey M-11 semi-automatic weapon along with "several thousand rounds of ammunition, an indoor marijuana-growing operation and an undisclosed amount of marijuana," the release said.

Smith faces additional felony charges of firearm possession by a felon, maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances, marijuana possession with intent to manufacture or sell, and manufacturing marijuana. He also faces misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana.

Smith was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.