Patience finally paid off recently for Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies.
After following a man suspected of dealing drugs who traveled between Utah and Idaho Falls over the past several months, said deputy Scott VanWagoner, the deputies were tipped off that he had returned again to Utah. This time he was in Taylorsville.
The man was arrested without incident when deputies stopped him Wednesday about 3:30 p.m. and found methamphetamines, two forms of cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms and a loaded .38-caliber handgun.
The methamphetamines were worth about $15,000; the cocaine was worth about $1,200; and the mushrooms were worth about $800, police said.
"This is one of the biggest rocks of cocaine I've ever seen in my life," VanWagoner said.
It is unknown if the man sold any drugs in the county, but $3,300 cash was also seized.
The midlevel street dealer probably operated alone, picking up the drugs, some of which were manufactured in Salt Lake County, he said.
Deputies also seized marijuana, which was probably for his own consumption, along with other drug paraphernalia, VanWagoner said.