A California man charged with possessing more than 30 pounds of marijuana on Interstate 35 pleaded not guilty Thursday in Freeborn County District Court.

Jonathan Lynn Lorenzen, 44, of Azusa, California, is charged with third-degree drug possession.

Court documents state Lorenzen was charged after officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Lorenzen was driving March 4. A K-9 reportedly alerted a state trooper to the vehicle, where 30 1-pound bags of marijuana were allegedly found.

Lorenzen reportedly made statements about being “set up” and “trafficking narcotics.”

A settlement conference is scheduled for April 20, and a jury trial is scheduled for July 25 if the case has not been settled by then.

Third-degree drug possession carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.