Boston Woman Sentenced on Federal Firearm Offense

BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Bianca Blanchard, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya Zobel to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2021, Blanchard pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Blanchard was arrested in May 2019 after law enforcement determined that she had fired a bullet in the direction of a moving vehicle on a residential street in Dorchester, which led to a retaliatory shooting in which six bullets were fired into the apartment of a neighbor uninvolved in the dispute. A search of Blanchard’s residence resulted in the recovery of a Ruger .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and an extended magazine containing 12 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition. Due to prior convictions of possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card and possession with intent to distribute a Class A substance, Blanchard is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is 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. PSN is 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.