Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years for Transporting Fentanyl to New Jersey

Law enforcement seized five kilograms of fentanyl in Fort Lee during a March 2024 traffic stop; defendant admitted intent to distribute in New Jersey.

NEWARK, N.J. — A California man has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl across the country with the intent to distribute it in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Timothy Alan Blank, 55, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court. Blank previously pleaded guilty to a single count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court records and statements made during proceedings, Blank traveled from the Los Angeles area to New Jersey in early March 2024, carrying approximately five kilograms of fentanyl in his personal vehicle. On March 8, 2024, law enforcement stopped Blank’s vehicle in Fort Lee, where officers discovered the narcotics in the trunk.

Following his arrest, Blank admitted to authorities that he intended to distribute the fentanyl within the District of New Jersey. The quantity seized represents a potentially lethal volume of the synthetic opioid, which has been a driving factor in nationwide overdose deaths.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Lee Police Department, and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.