COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – One of two Branch CountyJail inmates who are accused of trying to escape from the jail in late August entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors Monday in Branch County Circuit Court.
31-year-old Blake Lounsbury of Angola, Indiana entered a guilty plea to attempted possession of a weapon while in jail. He also entered a plea of guilty in a separate case for possession of a controlled substance.
Two other counts, including a charge of escape while awaiting trial, were dismissed in exchange for his pleas.
Sentencing has been scheduled for January 27, 2020.
44-year-old co-defendant Robby McCarty is scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference in Branch County Circuit Court March 2, 2020.
Sheriff John Pollack told the Branch County Board of Commissioners in early September about the incident, saying that his department foiled an attempt by inmates to breach the walls of the facility. He said it was the second time it happened in two months.
