URBANA, Ill. – A federal judge recently sentenced a central Illinois mother and son in a money-laundering conspiracy involving drugs.

Jennifer Fisher, 50, of Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced to 14 months in prison with a $10,000 fine. Her son Courtney Johnson, 32, of Decatur, Illinois, was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison.

Investigators say Fisher assisted her son in laundering proceeds from drugs to expand the drug operation and fund his travel. The sales involved hundreds of pounds of marijuana.

The laundering allowed the couple to expand operations within the Decatur area through the maintenance of several storage areas for marijuana. While investigating, law enforcement agents also discovered that Johnson had multiple pounds of cocaine that he intended to sell as well.

Authorities seized several items connected with laundering operations, including four vehicles, $27,000 in United States currency, gold and diamond jewelry, and several wristwatches. Federal investigators did not specify the timeline of the laundering, but say a grand jury returned a second superseding indictment against Fisher and Johnson in March 2020.

Fisher was sentenced June 27, while Johnson was sentenced in May in connection with the case.