An Arkansan and his mother face federal drug charges after a wave of arrests and searches throughout California earlier this week that authorities say busted a methamphetamine distribution ring.

After a months-long investigation involving wiretaps and text-message intercepts, Larry Duncan, 23, of Merced, Calif., and Blytheville, and his mother, Charlotte Miller of Blytheville, were arrested Thursday and accused of conspiring to buy methamphetamine in bulk from dealers in Merced and depositing funds in numerous bank accounts. Miller's age was unavailable.

According to notes from federal investigators, an April 24 traffic stop in California led to Duncan's Cadillac Escalade being impounded and the seizure of more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine and $25,000 in jewelry. Miller then flew to California and, along with Duncan and his girlfriend, conspired to get into the impound lot and recover the seized drugs, agents said.

Miller, along with four others accused as co-conspirators, made initial appearances before a federal magistrate judge in Fresno, Calif., on Thursday afternoon. They could face up to life in prison and $4 million in fines if convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other drugs.

Duncan was arrested by federal agents in Blytheville, according to a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office of Eastern California.

He is accused of getting drugs from two "large scale" methamphetamine traffickers in northern California, identified in a federal complaint as Luis Tejeda-Hurtado and Raul Reyes-Recio.

The two suppliers, who had previously lost 66 pounds of the drug when federal agents raided a storage shed the men rented, frequently set up transactions via telephone and text message, giving Duncan drugs once Duncan's mother dropped cash deposits into bank accounts for the transaction, the complaint said.

On April 23, investigators intercepted texts between Duncan and Miller that gave Miller instructions to put together two bundles of $7,200 for deposits into the dealers' bank accounts, the complaint said.

On April 24, investigators watching Miller's Blytheville home witnessed men leave her home in her gold Jeep Cherokee, the complaint said. During a traffic stop by a sheriff's deputy, investigators found $13,100 in cash, but let the occupants go without charges, agents said.

Late that morning, in Merced, investigators noted that Duncan, riding in an Escalade driven by another man, left a fast-food restaurant and was pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer.

The officer told Duncan, who owned the car, that the stop was for the vehicle's tinted windows.

Duncan lacked a California ID, as well as insurance, and the officer had the vehicle towed. Duncan and the other man were released without any charges, although 4.4 pounds of methamphetamine and $25,000 in jewelry in a brown bag on the floorboard were seized.

"Just got pulled over they took my truck my jewels in there and I had 70k in dope in the car. I m so so so so so spook idk what to do," Duncan texted an unidentified contact, according to investigators.

Hoping the authorities had overlooked the drugs, Duncan -- joined by his girlfriend, Alyncia Elliot, and Miller, who had arrived from Arkansas, and an associate, Roberto Gomez -- tried to figure out a way to get into the impound yard and recover the drugs, investigators said.

All were arrested Wednesday along with several others on California drug charges, according to federal officials, who would not say whether more arrests or charges were forthcoming.

Metro on 05/09/2014