MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A three-year federal drug trafficking investigation has been completed, with dozens of gang-affiliated drug traffickers being sentenced.
Operation Gangster’s Paradise finally came to a close Thursday with the law enforcement giving out time to 34 people. Barrett Young, sentenced for possession with intent to distribute, was the last to be sentenced.
It began with the Memphis Drug Enforcement Administration looking into just three suspected drug offenders back in 2016, but ended up having a far larger impact.
“One of the main priorities of the Department of Justice is to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations and so, 34 people have now been sentenced for their roles in this. We’re very pleased to deliver justice and to accomplish that,” U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant said.
Focused mostly on crime and drug trade in Memphis, authorities zeroed in on the Gangster Disciples. They targeted the hierarchy around the city, in hopes of preventing other gang members from stepping up after arrests were made.
“Attacking this from a structural standpoint of a gang is usually what we’re focused on, dealing with that organized crime,” Dunavant said. “I’m really pleased to say that we have the ability to do that.”
While the district attorney’s office is turning the page, the information gathered and connections made across the last few years will continue to pay dividends moving forward.
“We are provided with additional information, intelligence, interdiction, and that leads to more search warrants, more arrests. So we build up our face of knowledge,” Dunavant said.
Below is a list of those charged and sentenced in the operation:
Rafael Garza, 47, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Garza to 210 months.
Timothy Woods, 49, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Woods to 120 months.
Juan Cisneros, 36, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on April 12, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Cisneros to 121 months; 5 years supervised release.
Alfredo Arambul, 37, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Arambul to 120 months followed by 3 years supervised release.
Carlos Lopez, 41, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Lopez to 46 months and 2 years supervised release.
Tiffany Harper, 48, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on March 13, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Harper to time served, 24 months supervised release.
Anthony Hope, 49, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 17, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Hope to 100 months; 3 years supervised release.
Corey Blair, 48, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 19, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Blair to 46 months; 3 years supervised release.
Marcus Joyner, 35, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 12, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Joyner to 30 months; 2 years supervised release.
Ricky Dortch, 56, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on May 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Dortch to 15 months; 3 years supervised release.
Johnny Smith, 61, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on November 14, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Smith to 60 months; 4 years supervised release.
Wanda Amos, 44, conspiracy to commit money laundering, on February 15, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Amos to 24 months supervised release (probation).
Savino Juarez Cabrales, 46, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, on June 21, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Cabrales to 120 months; 5 years supervised release.
Marco Antonio Cruz, Jr., 30, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, on July 18, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Cruz to 51 months.
Jackie Arnold, 49, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering, on July 17, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Arnold to 180 months; 4 years supervised release.
Travis Bobo, 57, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, on February 25, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Bobo to 120 months; 5 years supervised release.
Joseph Brown, 43, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on September 6, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Brown to 34 months; 3 years supervised release.
Timothy Brown, 39, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on April 2, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Brown to 18 months; 3 years supervised release.
Dedrick Chism, 44, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, on September 12, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Chism to 60 months; 4 years supervised release.
Foyice Clark, 62, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Clark to 57 months; 5 years supervised release.
Reginald Duncan, 48, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on May 10, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Duncan to 18 months; 3 years supervised release.
Theotis Evans, 42, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on May 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Evans to 24 months; 3 years supervised release.
Rico Fason, 33, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, on May 20, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Fason to 90 months; 4 years supervised release.
Antonio Goss, 43, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, on February 4, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Goss to 120 months; 3 years supervised release.
Rodney Harper, 43, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on September 7, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Harper to 33 months; 3 years supervised release.
Tangela Jackson, 50, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on February 22, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Jackson to 60 months; 4 years supervised release.
Lakata Johnson, 47, conspiracy to commit money laundering, sentenced on June 12, 2016, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Johnson to 12 months, 1 day; 2 years supervised release.
Roderick Kelley, 44, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on August 5, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Kelley to 46 months; 4 years supervised release.
Tawana Rice, 42, conspiracy to commit money laundering, on June 18, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Rice to time served; 2 years supervised release.
Roy Rodgers, 54, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on March 12, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Rodgers to 27 months; 3 years supervised release.
Rodney Taylor, 41, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, on August 21, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Taylor to 8 months; 3 years supervised release.
Shunta Thompson-Truehart, 40, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, on January 14, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced to Thompson-Truehart to 24 months; 4 years supervised release.
Barrett Young, 54, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, on October 17, 2019, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris, sentenced Young to 18 months; 3 years supervised release.
John Robinson, 45, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, on October 3, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Robinson to 12 months; 3 years supervised release.
