Police: 66-Year-Old Woman Ran Illegal Business In Her Danbury Apt

Danbury CT

14 June, 2021

7:04 PM

Description

DANBURY, CY — Police have charged a 66-year-old woman with illegally selling cigarettes and alcohol from her apartment. It's the sixth time Vera Lucia Ribeiro-Menezes has faced charges of operating an illegal business from her Foster Street apartment in the past three years. In April 2018, Ribeiro-Menezes was the target of the Danbury police's "Operation 3-2-1," which seized nearly $12,000 cash, 861 cans of beer, 2,251 nips and 5,563 cigarettes from her apartment. In November of last year, police confiscated several thousand dollars, a large quantity of alcohol and cigarettes and a small quantity of marijuana in their investigation. Ribeiro-Menezes' apartment sits directly across the street from Head Start of Northern Fairfield County, an elderly housing complex, and is part of a neighborhood comprised of multifamily dwellings. Det. Lt. Mark Williams said, "As Ribeiro-Menezes' business has attracted a lot of foot and vehicle traffic to the area, our attention has repeatedly been drawn to her apartment." Police executed a search warrant for Ribeiro-Menezes' apartment Friday and charged her with criminal attempt to dispense alcohol without a permit, and unlicensed sale of cigarettes. She was later released for a promise to appear in court.