A man charged in connection with the largest fentanyl bust ever seen in Waterloo Region pleaded guilty Friday to eight weapon-related and drug-related offences.

Aaron Vezina was arrested in January, after being the subject of police surveillance for more than one year.

Police had received a tip from an informant identifying Vezina as a drug dealer.

Court documents show that at the time of his arrest, he had 11.5 grams of fentanyl on him – with a police-estimated street value of $33,570.

A search of his home turned up 158 grams of a drug called fentanyl-heroin, which police estimated as being worth about $47,000, as well as three handguns, a machine gun, soft body armour and $14,000 worth of marijuana.

The Crown is expected to seek a prison sentence of 15 or 16 years for Vezina, whose lawyer says he’ll be asking for a sentence of eight to 10 years.

Sentencing will take place later this year.