Springfield man faces federal gun, drug charges in Enfield incident

Apr. 15—A Springfield man who is accused of breaking into an Enfield apartment while carrying a loaded gun was charged Thursday on federal gun and drug charges, officials said.

The man, Brandon Blanks, 36, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearms and ammunition by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, officials said.

Blanks already faces a litany of charges in Connecticut Superior Court in connection with the incident. He is being held on $600,000 bond at Macdougall-Walker Correctional Facility and is due in Superior Court on April 26.

The arrest was announced in a joint statement from Leonard C Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut; James Ferguson, special agent in charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox.

Blanks appeared Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty. He was ordered detained.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Blanks was arrested on Nov. 2, 2021, and accused of breaking into an Enfield apartment carrying a loaded firearm and threatening an individual.

Responding officers located a polymer80 9mm firearm — a "ghost gun," or homemade firearm — with an extended magazine containing 24 rounds of ammunition, officials said.

Officers also found and seized a loaded Ruger 9mm firearm and a bag containing a quantity of crack cocaine and approximately 400 bags of para-Flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, in Blanks' car, officials said.

Blanks' has convictions for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, and multiple drug offenses, officials said.

Unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The case was investigated by the Enfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.