A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Keizer woman to three years of supervision for having what prosecutors described as a minor role in a scheme to smuggle hundreds of thousands of  prescription pills both real and fake from India to sell throughout the U.S. Jennifer McConnon, 50, will serve no prison time after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession of controlled substances in Portland U.S. District Court. A federal grand jury indicted McConnon in July 2022 along with her daughter, Sydney Sleight, whose case remains pending. A mystery man was also charged with leading the drug operation and listed in the indictment only as John Doe aka “Bunny Jinn.”  Bunny Jinn “was the organizer, leader, manager, and supervisor of this overseas drug distribution organization being run out of India, and he would arrange, coordinate, and export packages of real and counterfeit pills and tablets,” according to a sentencing memorandum by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin. Kerin’s memorandum described McConnon’s crime as “serious and potentially very dangerous,” saying the drugs she dealt could have serious adverse health effects or even result in death if misused. “The pills that were being sold could be counterfeit, contaminated, unsafe, toxic, ineffective, or expired,” he wrote. “The people obtaining the drugs could be using them in an effort to treat real illnesses but they may not be getting what they really need, and thus their intended cure may simply be ineffective or worse yet, harmful and deadly. Others may have been using the drugs to support their addictions.” In September 2021, federal authorities seized tapentadol, lorazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, carisoprodol, ketamine and tramadol weighing about 118 pounds in total. Court records don’t specify where the drugs were seized. McConnon was part  of the “vast international drug distribution organization” for nearly 20 months, starting in January 2020, according to Kerin’s filing. The prosecutor said McConnon “maintained premises” in Keizer for the purposes of storing, packaging and mass-marketing the drugs, which are used to treat conditions such as severe pain, anxiety disorders and muscle spasms, according to federal prosecutors. She and the others involved in the drug operation were accused of using different apps for encrypted messaging and online payment. Her daughter, Sleight, was also scheduled to change her original plea of not guilty and be sentenced Wednesday morning, but U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman canceled that hearing on Tuesday. Court records don’t indicate why. Federal sentencing guidelines for McConnon’s crime suggest that she should spend between six and 12 months in prison. But the Justice Department recommended a lighter sentence for a variety of reasons, including that she has been following her release conditions. Social media pages that appear to belong to McConnon indicate she previously worked as a biologist in California and more recently was a manager in the Lake Oswego branch of a lawn care company as of 2020. As part of McConnon’s plea deal, prosecutors dismissed three charges of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute. She also agreed to surrender any money she earned through trafficking drugs, though her plea agreement didn’t specify any amount.   To McConnon’s credit, Kerin said, “she was a minor participant and once caught she has done everything she could to correct her behavior going forward, including actively engaging with pretrial services.” Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Keizer woman admits role in India-based drug ring, avoids prison time appeared first on Salem Reporter.