FLORENCE, Ariz. -- A man who was released from prison Thursday morning was arrested about an hour later when a traffic stop turned up marijuana and a loaded handgun, according to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
A PCSO K-9 deputy stopped a Lexus around 9 a.m. Thursday after he saw the driver commit several traffic violations on Interstate 10, according to sheriff's spokesman Tim Gaffney.
The passenger was identified as Daniel Clegg, 34. The deputy said the front of Clegg's shirt was covered with marijuana flakes and he saw Clegg try to wipe them away. The deputy also reported smelling marijuana.
The driver told the deputy that he had picked Clegg up from the prison in Florence an hour earlier and they were driving to Sahuarita.
The deputy and his K-9 searched the vehicle and found marijuana underneath the passenger's seat along with rolling papers in the passenger's side door pocket, Gaffney said. The deputy also saw a cardboard box that contained a loaded 9 mm handgun with hollow point bullets along with letters and paperwork Clegg had from the time he spent in prison.
Clegg denied owning the gun but did say he saw the gun and he put his paperwork underneath it. The driver denied the firearm was his.
Gaffney said Clegg is a convicted felon and is a prohibited possessor of firearms.
Clegg was arrested and booked into the Pinal County Jail for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and misconduct involving a weapon.
Clegg has prior arrests for possession of a dangerous drug, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, theft, burglary and aggravated assault.
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