CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An alleged Los Angeles gang member was sentenced to 20 years on Friday for smuggling meth at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to court officials.
Rashad Jamal Blanchard, 47, was caught trying transport 46 kilograms of methamphetamine through the airport in February 2023, according to U.S. Attorney Dena J. King.
Authorities searched his luggage, finding three of his four checked suitcases contained vacuum-sealed packages of meth hidden inside comforters. The fourth suitcase, which had been picked up by an accomplice, was later recovered and found to contain an additional 11.4 kilograms of the drug, King said.
Blanchard pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in November 2023.
When Blanchard was arrested, he was on probation for a bank robbery conviction and was also out on bond for a pending case in California involving meth possession charges and a shooting incident.
The sentencing in North Carolina includes five years of supervised release following the prison term.
His arrest involved collaboration between Homeland Security Investigations, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office.