WEST JORDAN, Utah, Mar. 15, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — After months of surveillance, including online, West Jordan police arrested a 37-year-old accused drug dealer for a pile of felonies and recovered an estimated $70,000 in cash from his home.
Also seized were 15 firearms when officers Tuesday arrested Christopher Alan Merritt, according to charging documents filed in 3rd District Court. “The AP (arrested person) was identified as being involved in a drug distribution operation,” reads a probable cause affidavit for Merritt.
It describes subsequent surveillance “over the past several months” where he was observed aiding in picking up marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms and storing the illegal drugs at his residence. There was no mention of co-defendants or accomplices.
A search warrant served on Merritt’s home found thousands of THC (tetra hydro cannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana) products, according to the document, including an estimated 10,000 THC vape cartridges, thousands of THC edibles, THC extracts, and several pounds of marijuana.
Additionally, several thousand psilocybin edibles and at least a pound of psilocybin mushrooms were allegedly recovered.
“The items located were consistent with what I have observed being offered for sale on social media throughout the investigation,” the arresting officer wrote.
Merritt was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Tuesday night and faces two counts of possession with intent to distribute and five counts of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, ll third-degree felonies, and a misdemeanor count of drug paraphernalia possession.
