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SALT LAKE CITY — A 24-year-old Magna man faces first-degree felony drug charges after police say he was selling pieces of soap but claiming they were crack cocaine inside a day center for homeless Utahns.
According to charges field Friday in 3rd District Court, the manager of the Weigan Center called police after receiving a tip that Antonio Raymond Duran was selling cocaine out of a jar at the center, 235 S. Rio Grande Street.
A Salt Lake City police officer arrived at the center and talked to Duran. The officer saw a jar "that appeared to have several pieces of crack cocaine inside" in the man's coat pocket. The jar was seized, and its content later was determined to be soap.
Police say Duran told them he was selling the piece of soap "for whatever he could get."
The Weigan Center offers a variety of services to the homeless, including showers, laundry facilities, haircuts and a library.
E-mail: jpage@desnews.com
