A Los Angeles man with an extensive criminal history, including ties to Florida, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after attempting to smuggle 46 kilograms of methamphetamine through Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Authorities announced the sentencing of 47-year-old Rashad Jamal Blanchard, a member of the Inglewood Family Gangster Bloods, on Friday.
Blanchard’s criminal record spans four states—North Carolina, California, Florida, and Virginia—and includes previous felony convictions for carjacking and bank robbery. He was on probation for the bank robbery conviction when he was arrested at the Charlotte airport. He also faced pending charges in California for allegedly possessing nearly four pounds of methamphetamine and firing a gun during a dispute.
On February 1, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Queen City Regional Border Security Task Force intercepted Blanchard’s drug trafficking operation at the Charlotte airport. After arriving on a flight from Los Angeles, Blanchard had checked four suitcases, three of which were found to contain vacuum-sealed packages of methamphetamine hidden in comforters. These three suitcases held 34.6 kilograms of the drug. The fourth suitcase, retrieved from baggage claim by another individual and later tracked down by law enforcement, contained an additional 11.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, bringing the total to 46 kilograms.