A Los Angeles man with ties to the Inglewood Family Gangster Bloods gang has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to smuggle 46 kilograms of methamphetamine through Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Rashad Jamal Blanchard, 47, was arrested on February 1, 2023, after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Queen City Regional Border Security Task Force discovered the drugs in his luggage.
Blanchard had traveled from Los Angeles to Charlotte with four suitcases. Three of the bags contained multiple vacuum-sealed packages of methamphetamine, totaling 34.6 kilograms. A fourth suitcase, which was removed from the baggage claim area by another individual, was later recovered, containing an additional 11.4 kilograms of the drug. In total, Blanchard attempted to smuggle 46 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Blanchard’s criminal history includes prior felony convictions for carjacking and bank robbery across multiple states, including North Carolina, California, Florida, and Virginia. At the time of his arrest, Blanchard was on probation for a bank robbery conviction and was also out on bond in California, where he faces charges related to methamphetamine possession and a shooting incident.
In addition to his prison sentence, Blanchard will serve five years of supervised release following his incarceration.
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