MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors say 34 people in Tennessee have been sentenced to prison terms for laundering money as part of a drug trafficking ring.
U.S. attorney's office prosecutors in Memphis said in a news release Thursday that the group of defendants sold drugs and laundered money for a drug network that sold heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
Officials say the so-called "Gangster's Paradise" operation began in 2016 and was conducted by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force.
The task force includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. It targets regional and national drug trafficking organizations.
The 34 men and women were convicted of drug conspiracy and money laundering charges. Prison sentences ranged from eight months to more than 17 years.