GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Police arrested a 68-year-old man nicknamed "Grandpa" on suspicion that he was dealing methamphetamine from an apartment complex for retirees.

A court affidavit showed the arrest of Robert Hakel came after authorities launched an investigation against him in 2007. Hakel is facing five felony drug distribution charges.

Police say they also arrested seven people suspected of buying drugs from Hakel Wednesday. He was arrested outside of a liquor store with two ounces of meth and about $1,300.

Police say they suspect Hakel was getting meth from an Arizona man, Rene Soto, who was making weekly drug runs to Grand Junction.

Officers with the Western Colorado Drug Task Force said they knew someone was bringing one to two pounds of meth, and sometimes cocaine, to the Grand Valley on a regular basis since the summer 2006 but they couldn't identify the man until now.

Authorities said with the nine arrests, 3/4 of a pound of meth, with a street value of about $35,000, was taken off the streets.

Others arrested include:

David York, 34, of Grand Junction

Blaine Ellifritz, 39, of Grand Junction

Trisha Thomas, 30, of Grand Junction

Katy (Slawson) Christian. 22, of Grand

Miguel Valenzuela, 31, of Phoenix Arizona

Ramiro Valenzuela, 18, of Phoenix Arizona

Sonia Loucks, 46, of Grand Junction