News
Sports
Department of Justice officials were busy Thursday disposing of chemicals from a meth lab discovered by accident at a North San Juan residence.
The Nevada County Narcotics Task Force was serving a warrant for marijuana cultivation on Wednesday when they found a large stock of drugs, more than $100,000 in cash and high-powered weapons at a property on the 28000 block of Highway 49, sheriff's officials said.
“You never know what you're going to walk into,” said sheriff's Capt. Jeff Powell, who said they might have brought a specially armed team had they known about the cache of weapons.
Property owner Clifford Josef Young, 69, and his commonlaw wife Kathleen Marie Dockstader, 53, were booked into the county jail on numerous drug-related charges. They were later released on $50,000 bonds.
The suspects, who were longtime residents of the property, did not resist arrest, said county Sheriff's Capt. Jeff Powell. No criminal cases for either suspect were on file at the Nevada County Superior Court.
A half pound of meth and 60 pounds of trimmed marijuana were at the house. Narcotics officers also found chemicals and equipment for meth production, including ephedrine, glassware, heating elements, scales and packaging materials.
Several people were at the property trimming marijuana plants for $60 per hour. Police detained, identified and released them.
Among the other findings were pay-owe sheets, other peoples' prescription medications, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
“This thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Powell said.
Several years have passed since authorities have busted a meth manufacturing operation in the area, a change that's happened over the past 20 years as meth production shifts to Mexico.
“When I first started, they were blowing up all over the place,” Powell said.
He emphasized that county narcotics officials “are not concerned with backyard marijuana growers. We're interested in the people with these commercial operations on public and private lands” who pose a threat to neighbors and recreationists who may stumble upon their fields.
City Editor Trina Kleist contributed to this report. To contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels, e-mail mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.
The Nevada County Narcotics Task Force was serving a warrant for marijuana cultivation on Wednesday when they found a large stock of drugs, more than $100,000 in cash and high-powered weapons at a property on the 28000 block of Highway 49, sheriff's officials said.
“You never know what you're going to walk into,” said sheriff's Capt. Jeff Powell, who said they might have brought a specially armed team had they known about the cache of weapons.
Property owner Clifford Josef Young, 69, and his commonlaw wife Kathleen Marie Dockstader, 53, were booked into the county jail on numerous drug-related charges. They were later released on $50,000 bonds.
The suspects, who were longtime residents of the property, did not resist arrest, said county Sheriff's Capt. Jeff Powell. No criminal cases for either suspect were on file at the Nevada County Superior Court.
A half pound of meth and 60 pounds of trimmed marijuana were at the house. Narcotics officers also found chemicals and equipment for meth production, including ephedrine, glassware, heating elements, scales and packaging materials.
Several people were at the property trimming marijuana plants for $60 per hour. Police detained, identified and released them.
Among the other findings were pay-owe sheets, other peoples' prescription medications, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
“This thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Powell said.
Several years have passed since authorities have busted a meth manufacturing operation in the area, a change that's happened over the past 20 years as meth production shifts to Mexico.
“When I first started, they were blowing up all over the place,” Powell said.
He emphasized that county narcotics officials “are not concerned with backyard marijuana growers. We're interested in the people with these commercial operations on public and private lands” who pose a threat to neighbors and recreationists who may stumble upon their fields.
City Editor Trina Kleist contributed to this report. To contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels, e-mail mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.
