Two Western students have plead not guilty to trafficking marijuana over five pounds. The charges relate to a case where a five pound brick of marijuana was mailed to Pearce-Ford Tower.

Blake A. Lovan, a freshman from Old Hickory, Tenn., was arrested by the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force on Sept. 27 after he signed for the package in PFT’s lobby.

The Drug Task Force has concluded that Brandon Anthony James, a sophomore from Hendersonville, Tenn., mailed the package to Lovan, said Tommy Loving, director of the task force.

Lovan was arrested Sept. 27, indicted on Dec. 18 and arraigned on Jan. 13.

James was arrested, indicted and arraigned on Jan. 22.

Loving said he could not comment on how they determined the package contained drugs or how the package was traced to James.

Lovan told the Herald last semester that a friend asked him to accept a package on his behalf. The friend was identified as James in a police report.

“I didn’t know what it was,” Lovan said last semester.

He said he was arrested as soon as he signed for the package. Lovan said he didn’t know from whom or where the package was sent.

“I was stupid enough to sign for it,” he said last semester. “I guess I didn’t think he’d be mailing five pounds of marijuana.”

The charge against each man, a Class C felony, carries five to 10 years jail time.

But James’ attorney, Kelly Thompson Jr., said the indictment itself is incorrect, and his client is innocent.

“There is absolutely no evidence that (James) ever had any marijuana in his possession,” Thompson said. “The drug analysis I saw showed that it was less than five pounds, anyway.”

James was arrested on a similar drug charge in Dallas, Texas, in October, according to the Dallas Police Department. They refused to elaborate on the charge.

Thompson said that his client is also not guilty of this charge, and it was an unfortunate circumstance.

Lovan refused to comment further, and James did not return phone calls. Lovan’s lawyers also did not return phone calls.

Lovan was released from Warren County Regional Jail Dec. 4 on a court order, and James was released Jan. 22 with $2,500 cash and a $12,500 surety bond. Both are due back in court March 3.

“I think this investigation is basically finished, which resulted in these two arrests,” Loving said.

Reach Abbey Brown at [email protected].