Hello! My name is TJ, and I’m an attorney. Thanks so much for the opportunity to assist you! I reviewed what you wrote and I’m about to post my initial answer. 

In North Carolina, trafficking charges involving methamphetamine are treated extremely seriously. For 5 pounds, the law presumes trafficking due to the quantity, which triggers mandatory minimum sentences under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-95(h).

Even if you weren’t charged, if law enforcement thinks you were involved in any way — like transporting, storing, or facilitating — they could still decide to investigate or pursue conspiracy charges. Just being connected to the situation through a friend doesn’t necessarily put you at risk, but it really depends on whether there’s evidence tying you to the drugs, money, or communications.

The state doesn’t need to catch you holding the drugs directly to charge you.

Question for you:

Were you present at any point during your friend’s arrest or investigation? And do you know if your name came up in any way during their arrest — like in a statement, messages, or reports?

From a legal standpoint, the biggest concern here would be the recorded phone call from the police station where your friend tried to shift the blame.

Law enforcement often records jailhouse calls, and if he said anything naming you as involved, that could trigger an investigation — but being named by someone trying to dodge responsibility doesn’t automatically lead to charges. Prosecutors still need something to build on, like communications, surveillance, or financial evidence.

Fingerprints or DNA in a shared space aren’t automatically incriminating. Forensic presence alone doesn’t prove possession or control — under criminal law, the state must show power and intent to control the drugs. Simply visiting the room doesn’t meet that threshold.

Unless they have more than that call and incidental evidence, their case against you would be weak. It sounds like your friend may have tried to drag you into it to reduce his own liability, which isn’t uncommon.

Your friend trying to claim the police found “your bag” is a self-serving statement meant to deflect blame. That kind of statement carries little weight unless supported by other evidence. Jail calls are often viewed as attempts to shift responsibility.

Your response — asking what bag he meant and hanging up — shows no admission or acknowledgment. That actually helps you. Unless they can prove the bag was yours and contained contraband, there’s nothing in that call that directly implicates you.

If the bag was found in his room, the legal presumption is that it belonged to him or someone living there. You’re not responsible for items in another person’s space unless the state can prove you had knowledge and control of it.

If your fingerprints or DNA were found on the bag, that adds some complication — but it still doesn’t guarantee charges or a conviction.

Your prints could show contact, but contact doesn’t equal possession. The state must prove you knew what was inside and had control over it. If the bag was in your friend’s room among his belongings, your prints could have gotten there innocently — just from visiting, helping move things, or casual contact.

Where it becomes riskier is if the bag also contained personal evidence linking it to you — like your ID, receipts, or texts. That would make it harder to argue lack of knowledge. But trafficking charges require proof of both quantity and intent to distribute, so even then, they’d need more than prints.

Since it’s been over a year and your friend was indicted four months ago without you being contacted, that’s a strong sign you’re not a target. If law enforcement had something, they likely would’ve acted by now.

It’s still possible, though unlikely, that your name could come up again — especially if your friend cooperates in a plea deal.

If your friend takes a plea deal, he might offer information to reduce his sentence — often by naming others he claims were involved or describing how the drugs were moved or stored.

But his word alone isn’t enough. The government would still need independent evidence — texts, calls, fingerprints on the drugs, surveillance, or another witness — to back it up. Without that, it’s unlikely they’d pursue charges.

Given how much time has passed and how active the case already is, it sounds like there’s nothing solid linking you to the drugs.

Your best defense would be lack of possession and knowledge. Prosecutors must prove you knowingly had control over the drugs. Simply being in the room before, even with prints or DNA, doesn’t prove that.

If you have no criminal history, no incriminating communications, and no evidence tying you directly to drug activity, that’s a strong defense.

Turning state witness only helps if you have useful information that strengthens their case. If you weren’t involved and don’t have anything substantial, cooperating wouldn’t necessarily help and could look like a panic move.

That’s good. A single weed possession charge — especially a minor one — won’t hurt you much in a case like this. It doesn’t show a pattern of drug trafficking behavior.

The lack of texts, calls, or other communication is very much in your favor. Without those, prosecutors don’t have a foundation for conspiracy or possession.

Given the time that’s passed, the lack of charges, and no evidence tying you to the drugs, it’s very reasonable to move on. Legally, the risk to you seems low at this point.

Best case for your friend would be a reduced sentence through a plea deal, especially if it’s his first major offense and he cooperates. He might plead down to possession with intent, which carries fewer years and may allow supervised release after serving part of the sentence.