A Los Angeles man with ties to the Inglewood Family Gangster Bloods was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to smuggle 46 kilograms of methamphetamine through Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced the sentence today.
Rashad Jamal Blanchard, 47, was arrested on February 1, 2023, after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Queen City Regional Border Security Task Force conducted a search of his luggage at the airport. Blanchard had traveled from Los Angeles to Charlotte, checking four pieces of luggage. Authorities discovered that three of the suitcases contained black vacuum-sealed packages of methamphetamine, hidden inside comforters, totaling 34.6 kilograms.
A fourth suitcase, which had been removed from the airport’s baggage claim area by another individual, was tracked down by law enforcement. It was found to contain an additional 11.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, bringing the total amount of drugs to 46 kilograms.
Blanchard, who has a lengthy criminal history across four states — North Carolina, California, Florida, and Virginia — was previously convicted of serious felonies, including carjacking and bank robbery. At the time of his arrest, he was on probation for the bank robbery conviction and out on bond in California, where he faced charges related to methamphetamine possession and an alleged shooting incident.
In addition to his 20-year prison sentence, Blanchard will serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
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