He was pulled over for speeding, but was arrested for what was inside his car

Hundreds of grams of marijuana and a loaded handgun were found in a Sarasota man’s car and landed him behind bars.

Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies performed a traffic stop shortly before 4 p.m. Friday at Wilkinson Road and Maceachen Boulevard in Sarasota after noticing the vehicle speeding, a probable cause affidavit stated.

Wallen, who told deputies he was looking for his registration, pulled a backpack from the back seat to the passenger seat of the car. Deputies asked Wallen if there was a gun inside.

“No, I’m a good person, you don’t have to worry about me,” Wallen told deputies, according to the affidavit.

While speaking to the driver, 57-year-old Daniel Wallen, deputies noticed the smell of marijuana and searched his vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.

Inside the vehicle, deputies found three plastic containers on the floorboard of the rear seats that held 300 grams of marijuana packaged in baggies and drug paraphernalia along with a backpack that held a loaded handgun with nine rounds of ammunition, according to the sheriff’s office.

Wallen was charged with possession of cannabis over 20 grams, possession of cannabis with intent to sell or deliver, and possession of a firearm while in commission of a felony. He also faces two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors, and was issued a traffic citation.

He was released early Saturday morning on $17,500 bond.

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 4:34 PM with the headline "He was pulled over for speeding, but was arrested for what was inside his car."