34 sentenced for drug crimes amid Operation ‘Gangster’s Paradise’
Thirty-four individuals have been sentenced for various charges that include drug trafficking and money laundering as a result a two-year operation, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant’s office announced Thursday.
The sentences were a result of Operation “Gangster’s Paradise” conducted by members of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Dunvant’s office said that in 2016 the Memphis Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the Memphis area.
The investigation led to several indictments that included money laundering and drug trafficking charges.
The final sentence was issued Thursday and range from two years of supervised release to 17 and a half years in federal prison.
The youngest was Marco Antonio Cruz, 30, who was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin.
The oldest among the 34 is 62-yearold Foyice Clark, who was sentenced to four years and nine months with five years of probation for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
“The joint cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement in this case demonstrates our ability and resolve to dismantle drug trafficking organizations, including those that distribute narcotics from locations across the country,” Dunavant said in a statement.
In addition to DEA agents, members of the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit, the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service helped investigate.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jerry Kitchen and Michelle Kimbrilparks prosecuted these cases on behalf of the federal government.