August 3, 2026

I Was a Texas Gang Member, Dope Dealer & Pimp — Then I Got Sent to Prison | Tamara Cook

Tamara Cook grew up poor in a small Texas town with eight siblings, a mother struggling to hold everything together, and a biological father who was never in the picture — and when her babysitter started abusing her at just seven years old the life she deserved was already being taken from her before she was old enough to understand what was happening. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, she shares how her mother fell into addiction and began pimping her out, how her parents splitting sent everything into further chaos, how she eventually started selling drugs herself and ultimately became a pimp — the exact monster she had always been afraid of and never wanted to become. She opens up about her own addiction the relationships the multiple children she was raising in the middle of everything, and what a seven year sentence in the Texas Department of Corrections finally did to give her back the life that started being taken from her when she was seven years old. _____________________________________________ #womeninprison #TrueCrime #redemptionstory #prison _____________________________________________ Connect with Tamara Cook: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tamarasherrell87?si=0laBG70KXTx69hZI TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nobodybby87?_r=1&_t=ZP-98ZtlRlPlcc _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Tamara Cook Introduction 00:21 Growing Up in Amarillo 02:02 Early Family Life & Childhood Memories 06:46 Life Changes at Age Seven 09:05 Abuse and Family Struggles 13:17 Mother's Addiction Begins 20:28 Role Reversal: Becoming the Caregiver 23:12 Trauma, Betrayal & Survival 27:01 Deeper Into Abuse and Neglect 33:32 Adolescence in Chaos 39:00 Survival and First Crimes 43:43 Turning to the Streets & Dealing 49:57 Dealing Drugs and Gang Life 58:00 Solo Survival and Criminal Hustle 01:05:30 Becoming a Dealer and a Pimp 01:14:00 Running Operations and Family Fallout 01:26:02 Violence, Survival & Self-Defense 01:35:29 From Teen Mom to Emancipation 01:46:06 Trying to Be a 'Normal' Wife & Mother 01:56:02 Losing Children and Hitting Rock Bottom 02:05:40 Falling into Addiction 02:11:00 Deep Addiction, Homelessness & Jail Time 02:24:00 Year Under Investigation & Final Arrest 02:33:50 Prison: The Breaking Point 02:46:00 Life Changing Years Inside 03:02:00 Release, Recovery & Faith 03:14:00 Domestic Violence and New Beginnings 03:18:00 Career, Ministry, and Healing 03:26:00 Mother's Redemption and Passing 03:33:00 Forgiveness, Recovery and Purpose 03:35:51 Reflection & Message of Hope _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka

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