Narcotics agents arrested five people and seized about $1,000 worth of methamphetamine at a Smartville home Wednesday after keeping tabs on the residence for a year, a sheriff's official said.

Armed with a search warrant, Nevada County Narcotics Task Force officers raided the home on the 10000 block of Mooney Flat Road at about 7:30 a.m., Nevada County Sheriff's Lt. Frank Kohler said Wednesday.

They found a quarter of an ounce of meth, digital scales, small plastic bags and "pay-owe" sheets, which are slips of paper with names of alleged meth buyers and the amount they owe the alleged dealers, Kohler said.

A 12-gauge shotgun also was located inside the house, he said.

"It wasn't a bad score for us," Kohler said, adding officers had intelligence gathered from informants for a while, but only recently gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant from a judge.

The officers also avoided doing surveillance on the house prior to the raid because they "would have stuck out like a sore thumb" in the area, he said.

Jerald Wayne Dodgin, 53, who rents a room at the house, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance, possessing a controlled substance for sale and being under the influence of a controlled substance, Kohler said.

Dodgin has a "lengthy criminal history" involving drug-related crimes, Kohler added.

Dodgin remained in custody at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility Wednesday afternoon in lieu of $36,000 bail, jail staff reported.

Cheryl Klawitter, 53, of Grass Valley, showed up at the house while officers were there, Kohler said.

Officers arrested Klawitter on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance, being under the influence of a controlled substance and driving on a suspended license, according to jail records.

Klawitter also remained in jail Wednesday afternoon in lieu of $11,000 bail.

In addition, residents Garth Foster, 43, Sylvia Foster, 43, and Caroline Grandell, 44, were each arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possessing drug paraphernalia, Kohler said.

The Fosters and Grandell were released from jail late Wednesday morning on their own recognizance, jail staff reported.

Because a shotgun was located at the residence, investigators may file a complaint of possessing a firearm against Garth Foster, who was convicted of misdemeanor battery in 2003, Kohler said.

Anyone convicted of misdemeanor battery is not permitted to possess a firearm for 10 years, Kohler added.



To contact Staff Writer Robyn Moormeister, e-mail rmoormeister@theunion.com or call 477-4236.