A sizable drug smuggling operation came to a halt when Rashad Jamal Blanchard, a member of the Inglewood Family Gangster Bloods, was sentenced to two decades behind bars for attempting to move 46 kilograms of methamphetamine through Charlotte Douglas International Airport; this sentence includes a subsequent five years of supervised release, as announced by U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina.
The details of Blanchard's apprehension, emerged from court documents—upon his February 1, 2023, arrival at the airport, operatives from Homeland Security Investigations' Queen City Regional Border Security Task Force discovered vacuum-sealed packages full of meth wrapped in comforters after inspecting his checked luggage—three suitcases carried 34.6 kilograms in total, and the fourth consequentially intercepted further held 11.4 kilograms, bringing the drug count to the reported 46 kilograms, the announcement was supported by Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of HSI and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
Blanchard’s encounters with the law predate this methamphetamine saga as a criminal record spanning four states—North Carolina, California, Florida, and Virginia—is laden with prior felonies such as carjacking and bank robbery, his arrest in Charlotte came while he was on probation for the latter and bonded pending prosecution in California for charges of drug possession and an alleged shooting during a dispute.
According to an official announcement acquired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Blanchard entered a guilty plea on November 28, 2023, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; he remains in federal custody and will be moved to a federal prison upon the assignment of a facility, the work of HSI, CMPD, and the regional task force in revealing this crime did not go unnoticed, as U.S. Attorney King made it a point to extend a note of gratitude to these agencies for their collaborative effort.
In managing the legal proceedings, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte effectively prosecuted the drug smuggling case against Blanchard, establishing a clear message about the severe repercussions of engaging in such an illicit narcotics distribution network.
