For the three individuals who pulled into the home of Amber Jo Remsburg, it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. But for Story County law enforcement, it was a good day.

Arriving one at a time, the three found Story County law enforcement officials waiting for them last Tuesday at 1108 Burnett Ave. Officers said they found methamphetamine on two of the three. By the end of the investigation, police had seized more than a half-pound of methamphetamine and arrested five.

The seizure was a major one for Story County officials, said Capt. Gary Foster of the Story County sheriff’s office. Although the amount of methamphetamine seized in the investigation may be typical in larger cities, investigations in Story County don’t normally turn up the amount found on the five individuals arrested Tuesday.

“We rarely see a half-pound of methamphetamine locally,” he said. “In Story County, it’s a significant amount. And this was crystal meth, a pure form of methamphetamine.”

Officers of the Central Iowa Drug Task Force arrested five on charges related to the manufacture and transportation of methamphetamine after serving a search warrant for the home of Remsburg, 27.

Police entered Remsburg’s home after an investigation led them to believe she was involved in trafficking of the drug. Upon entering her home, they found items used in the distribution of narcotics and small quantities of marijuana and methamphetamine, according to police reports.

Remsburg also reportedly had surveillance equipment in her home designed to warn inhabitants if anyone was approaching, said Capt. Gary Foster of the Story County sheriff’s department.

Remsburg was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

While police continued their search of the Remsburg residence, Joshua James Backoff, 27, of Ellsworth, arrived at the house, bringing more than a half-pound of crystal methamphetamine with him, according to police reports.

Backoff was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and violation of the Iowa Tax Stamp law.

After Backoff was taken into custody, Joshua Dale Warren, 25, arrived at the house. Police said Warren, of Nevada, also carried with him a quantity of methamphetamine.

He was charged with intent to deliver and a tax stamp violation.

The last to arrive was Michael Curt Fahrney, who, according to police reports, arrived at the home and fought with officers before being taken into custody. Fahrney was charged with interference with official acts.

Foster said the seeming parade of people with drugs on their person showing up at the Remsburg house might seem like unreasonably good luck for task force officials. But Foster said there may have been more to it.

“There may have been reason to believe that other people would show up at the house at that time,” he said.

Information gained from the bust at the Remsburg house led police to execute two other search warrants: one at Backoff’s home, and another at the Maxwell residence of Edward Lewis Huffaker, 38.

The search of Backoff’s house turned up more evidence of drug trafficking, according to police reports.

In Huffaker’s home, police found surveillance equipment, illegal prescription drugs, scales, baggies and other drug paraphernalia, according to police reports. They also found a small quantity of crystal methamphetamine.

Huffaker was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and six counts of prescription drug violations.

The conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charges against Remsburg and Backoff and intent to deliver charge against Warren are Class B felony charges. Convictions are punishable by up to 50 years imprisonment and fines of up to $1 million.

The summer generally represents a busy time for narcotics investigations, Foster said. The bust closely follows another series of arrests in Ames made in late June, after Story County police, responding to a suspicious activity call, were able to detect the smell of ether in the air and found three individuals hiding beneath a pickup that carried a methamphetamine manufacturing plant.

Foster said there was no connection between the two cases, other than the quality of work exhibited by arresting officers.

“I think they’re both illustrations of a good job of police work,” he said. “They didn’t quit digging when they could have.”