Cross-country road trip ends with fentanyl bust in New Jersey

A California man is headed to prison after being caught with fentanyl during a cross-country road trip.

55-year-old Timothy Alan Blank of Los Angeles previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

On Monday, he was sentenced to 100 months, or about eight years, in prison.

NJ Drug Bust Timeline

Federal authorities said on March 6th, 2024, Blank transported approximately five kilos of fentanyl in his vehicle from the Los Angeles area across the United States into the Garden State.

Two days later, his vehicle was stopped by law enforcement in Fort Lee, where they discovered the fentanyl inside the trunk.

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Following his arrest, Blank admitted to officials his intent to distribute the drugs in New Jersey.

Once released from prison, Blank will be under three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Alina Habba thanked special agents with 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's Los Angeles Field Office for their work in this case.