Marijuana Trafficker Busted Because of an Unbuckled Seat Belt

If you ever find yourself in a situation where attracting the attention of the police is a bad thing, it’s a good idea not to give them an excuse to search your car. We’re not suggesting that you get into such a situation in the first place but sometimes breaking the most basic and smallest laws can lead to bigger ones. [Image via AlmosaCountyPublicHealth/Flickr]

For instance, police in Florida busted a man carrying 37 pounds of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop. According to The Independent Florida Alligator, the officer originally cited Scott Patrick Harmon for not wearing his seat belt. Harmon was pulled over because the officer noticed “something hanging from the bottom of his car.” He made contact with the driver and discovered he wasn’t wearing his seat belt and gave him a ticket. Florida is one of 33 U.S. states with seat belts laws on the books, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. He would have gotten away with just a $30 fine but the officer also noticed the strong smell of marijuana coming from the car and conducted a search. He found the 37 pounds of marijuana wrapped in plastic in three suitcases. Police estimated the marijuana’s street value at approximately $175,000.

If he had just remembered to strap himself into his car, he might not have gotten popped by the cops. Of course, it’s clear that he was dipping into his own product because marijuana is a drug that makes you forget everything but your name and the lyrics to every Phish song ever recorded.