Man gets 90-month sentence in heroin case

Blandon Richard, a/k/a Blandon Todd Bessard, 45, of Kaplan,was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 90 months (in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.
Richard was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2019 on the charge, and he pleaded guilty Nov. 4. The charges in the indictment stemmed from an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Richard and his co-defendants in the Lafayette area beginning in January 2019. Law enforcement agents obtained authority to intercept calls between Richard and a co-defendant.
During the course of their investigation, agents overheard Richard on phone calls on multiple occasions between Richard and his co-defendant in which Richard discussed obtaining heroin to redistribute to other people for profit.
In February 2019, law enforcement agents intercepted phone calls from Richard to his co-defendant making arrangements to obtain heroin from him. Agents conducting physical surveillance observed Richard go to the co-defendant’s house and come out a short time later.
Surveillance of Richard’s vehicle continued and after committing a traffic violation, officers with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle.
Officers observed in plain view in the ashtray of the vehicle a bag that contained what appeared to be a controlled substance. At that time, officers retrieved the controlled substance and put Richard in handcuffs and advised him of his Miranda rights.
The FBI and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.