Forgotten bag leads to drug, weapons charges

PORT RICHEY -- William Fredrick Kaulich of Hudson steered his motorcycle into Coastal Cadillac in Port Richey on Monday and asked to test drive the luxury Escalade sport utility vehicle.

He didn't buy the $50,000 Cadillac after taking it out for a spin.

But it was one expensive test drive.

Kaulich, 22, got back on his motorcycle and drove away. In the SUV, he left a knapsack.

When Coastal Cadillac employees found the bag, they opened it to look for a driver's license or some way to contact the owner. Inside they found marijuana, pills, drug paraphernalia and nearly 100 rounds of ammunition, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said.

"When they spotted the big bag of marijuana and the ammo, they called us," sheriff's spokesman Jon Powers said.

Kaulich returned to the auto dealership at 9929 U.S. 19 to retrieve his bag shortly after 6 p.m. Deputies arrived about the same time and arrested him.

While searching Kaulich, a sheriff's deputy found more bags of marijuana in his pockets and a "semi-automatic in his waistband," Powers said. Kaulich told the deputy that he didn't have a concealed weapons permit, the sheriff's report said.

In the knapsack, deputies found 95 Alprazolam pills, which are used to treat anxiety disorder, and four Seroquel tablets, used to treat schizophrenia. They also found a small scale, lighters, rolling papers -- all with traces of marijuana -- and a big bag full of smaller bags of marijuana, the sheriff's report said.

"He said he was transporting the drugs for others," Powers said. "And that he carried the gun for protection."

Kaulich has been charged before with carrying drugs and paraphernalia. Last year, he was convicted of marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kaulich now faces five charges, including carrying a concealed weapon, possession of Alprazolam, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and possession of Seroquel. He was being held Tuesday night in lieu of $16,000 bail at the Land O' Lakes jail.

Anthony Bower, the sales manager for Coastal Cadillac, declined to comment about the incident.

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