GARDEN GROVE : Methamphetamine Seized; Man Held

Acting on a tip, Newport Beach narcotics officers arrested a Garden Grove man at his home on suspicion of drug possession and confiscated 5 ounces of methamphetamine, eight assorted firearms and $200 in cash, police said Wednesday.

James Alan Gassaway, 43, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon at his Otis Street home, minutes after undercover detectives found a jar full of methamphetamine buried in his front yard, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Andy Gonis said.

The self-employed truck driver was being held on $50,000 bail at Newport Beach City Jail and is expected to be arraigned on drug possession charges Friday at Harbor Municipal Court, Gonis said.

Gonis said detectives working on a case received information that they would be able to find the drug, also known as speed, at Gassaway’s house, Gonis said. He declined to elaborate on the investigation.

At the house, Gonis said, one of the plainclothes detectives noticed a spot on the yard that looked suspicious.

“They saw that the ground had recently been dug up,” Gonis said. “Something looked like it was buried there.”

The officers then discovered a buried plastic jar with a sandwich-size plastic bag stuffed into it. Inside the bag was a substance that police believe to be methamphetamine with a street value of about $14,000, Gonis said.

Armed with search warrants, the detectives combed the house and found two shotguns, two rifles and four handguns, Gonis said. About $200 in Gassaway’s wallet was confiscated.

There was no one else in the house, Gonis said.