This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The arrest of Utah man in an Illinois traffic stop on Monday led police to a marijuana growing operation in the basement of a Cottonwood Heights home.
Police in La Salle County, Ill., found multiple packages of marijuana during a search of the 55-year-old man's car, Cottonwood Heights Sgt. Gary Young said. During questioning, the man told officers he lived in Utah and had grown the marijuana there.
Cottonwood Heights police then obtained a warrant to search the home, 7960 Willow Stream (2970 East), and found the basement had been dedicated to a growing operation. Officers found at least three dozen mature plants, along with seedlings and packaged pot that was ready for distribution, Young said.
A large amount of cash was also found. Police are not sure whether the man was working alone, or as part of a larger organization.
It was not immediately known how much the marijuana might be worth.
Young said the department was withholding the man's name pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation