New Bedford Woman Cooked Cocaine for Latin Kings
NEW BEDFORD — A former member of the New Bedford Latin King and Queen Nation has been sentenced for cooking cocaine in her apartment.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said 34-year-old Tanairy Ruiz, known as "Queen Tanairy," was sentenced on Wednesday to time served — around 30 days — and three years of supervised release.
Ruiz pleaded guilty on Sept. 8 to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and cocaine base, according to the office.
She lived in one of the Latin Kings' trap houses in New Bedford, in an apartment where cocaine was 'cooked', or made into cocaine base.
The office said Ruiz conspired with other Latin Kings gang members to manufacture and distribute the drug throughout the city.
According to the office, the Latin Kings are a criminal enterprise with thousands of members nationwide that sells drugs for revenue and uses violence to further its influence.
Ruiz is the 41st defendant to be sentenced after the federal 'Operation Throne Down' took out the local Latin Kings leadership in the Northeastern U.S. in December 2019.
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