The wife of Mexican drug boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was sentenced today to three years in prison and four years of supervised release, along with a forfeiture of $1.5 million, in connection with drug trafficking and money laundering charges related to her husband’s narcotics empire.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, pleaded guilty June 10 to the charges, and will get credit for time already served.

Judge Rudolph Contreras also imposed a $300 special assessment fine for each of the three counts to which she pleaded guilty.

Coronel addressed the court before learning her fate and expressed deep remorse for her involvement with Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel and the harm she may have caused the citizens of the US. She acknowledged it would be difficult for the judge to ignore the fact she is Guzman’s wife and he might feel an obligation to impose a harsher sentence.

She said she accepted full responsibility and begged the judge to consider her 9-year-old twins who will already be forced to grow up with one parent when imposing his sentence.

Coronel’s attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, also asked the judge to consider the danger she may face in custody, because of anonymous federal sources cited in news coverage following her arrest, claiming she was a cooperating with the US government against other cartel members, which Lichtman said was categorically false. He added, she may never be able to return to Mexico as she would become a target of the cartel.

Prosecutors had asked for 48 months in prison which was 9 months below the sentencing guideline minimum, 5 years of supervised release and the $1.5 million forfeiture, after considering several factors, including that they consider her role in the conspiracy to be minimal and in support of her husband, that she excepted full responsibility quickly after her arrest, saving the government time and resources in hearings in trial preparation, and that she has no prior criminal record of drug trafficking.

Lichtman contended the time she has already served has been harsh, due to Covid restrictions and being in lockdown 22 hours a day for her safety. The judge said he considered those conditions, but noted due to Covid, they may not improve.

The judge went below the recommendation made by prosecutors as he considered not only those factors but also that she met Guzman when she was a minor, 17 years old, and married him at 18.

El Chapo wife, Coronel was not handcuffed at the hearing, wearing a facemask and no makeup, a marked change from when she attended her husband’s court appearances.