WATERLOO -- Federal authorities have taken steps toward seizing the house of a Waterloo physician who was arrested after police found almost $1 million worth of methamphetamine.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for Northern Iowa filed a forfeiture action against the home of Dr. Mark Louviere, 50, at 343 Four Seasons Drive, in federal court in Cedar Rapids Tuesday.

Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said the filing is to put people with a claim to the property on notice, and the government doesn't seek to physically take possession of it at this time.

Louviere was arrested April 3 after police found meth and firearms in his home and more than 11 pounds of meth in a neighbor's house that he was looking after, authorities said.

Last week in state court he was formally charged with drug conspiracy charges.

The house and land are valued at $272,4600, according to Black Hawk County property records, and names on the deed are Mark Louviere and Heidi Bonthus. The one-and-a-half story home was built in 1952 and boasts a fireplace.

The goverment alleges the property was used or intended to be used to facilitate violations of United States drug laws.

According to court records, the government doesn't seek to actually seize the house at this time but instead wants to preserve the property for possible forfeiture later.

It is asking for authorization to send agents with the U.S. Marshals Service to conduct and inspection an inventory of the house and have it appraised.

Controlled meth buy

Court records filed in connection with the forfeiture case give additional details about the doctor's arrest and the amount of meth that was recovered.

During the week of April 2, a confidential informant working with the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force bought methamphetamine from Dr. Louviere at Louviere's house, records state.

Then on April 3, after the monitored transaction, Task Force officers got a search warrant for the house, and a patrol officer pulled over Louviere during a traffic stop.

The officer found 3 grams of meth on Louviere's person as well as 3.6 grams of CTX, which is a "cutting agent" added to drugs to increase its weight for sale.

While searching Louviere's house, agents found 892.3 grams -- about 1.97 pounds -- of meth, seven firearms. gallon-sized Ziploc bags, syringes and scales, court records state.

Louviere remains in the Black Hawk County Jail with bond set at $1.6 million.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.