SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane man pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of pure methamphetamine and has been sentenced to 14 years in prison with five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, 45-year-old James LeBlanc was involved in a car accident in Spokane in March 2022. As the victim attempted to exchange information with LeBlanc, he took off running.
The Spokane Police Department (SPD) attempted to locate LeBlanc but obtained a search warrant for his GMC Yukon. Inside the car, officers found two bags of cocaine, softball size amounts of methamphetamine, blue pills, two digital scales, ammunition, marijuana, extended magazines, a flash bang and a Glock .40 caliber pistol that was reported to have been stolen out of Montana.
In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration detectives received an anonymous tip and found an additional $4,401 in a hidden compartment of the Yukon.
A month later, SPD officers attempted to detain LeBlanc at a home in northeast Spokane. Unfortunately he fled, but SPD obtained another search warrant for a Lincoln MKX.
Inside they found a Glock 9mm pistol, digital scales, drug paraphernalia and plastic bags used for drug distribution. A DEA agent then found 169 grams of methamphetamine, 38 grams of cocaine and approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills.
Then in October 2022, SPD officers responded to a domestic violence call involving LeBlanc. When they arrived on scene, LeBlanc ran but was arrested in the backyard of a home nearby.
Another search warrant was executed for a Pontiac G6 where officers found two pistols (both reported stolen), large amounts of cash, drugs and a shotgun with a pistol grip.
“Mr. Leblanc was involved in three separate instances where he was armed and in possession of a significant amount of deadly narcotics he planned to distribute on our streets. His actions contributed to the growing epidemic of drug use in our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Mr. Leblanc attempted to run from the law, but our dedicated law enforcement team put an end to Mr. Leblanc’s spree of criminal activity.”
It was announced on Jan. 3 that 45-year-old James P. LeBlanc was sentenced to 14 years in prison with an additional 5 years of supervision after release. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
