Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
A California man has received a 100-month prison sentence for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. The individual, Timothy Alan Blank, 55, from Los Angeles, California, had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court.
Court documents reveal that Blank was caught transporting approximately five kilograms of fentanyl from Los Angeles to New Jersey. On March 8, 2024, his vehicle was stopped in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where law enforcement agents found the drugs in the trunk. Blank admitted his intention to distribute the fentanyl within New Jersey.
Alongside the prison sentence, Blank will also serve three years of supervised release. The investigation was credited to several law enforcement agencies including Homeland Security Investigations Newark, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Lee Police Department, and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the Criminal Division in Newark. Blank was represented by defense counsel Claressa L. Lowe.
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