Maureen Bowers, a Tennessee notary public, was sentenced to 24 months in prison Friday for her role in bribing county clerks to issue car tags.

United States District Judge Jon McCalla issued the sentence, and the announcement was made by United States Attorney Edward Stanton.

Bowers plead guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of harboring illegal aliens in July. She operated a business that assisted illegal aliens in getting car tags by preparing false documents and bribing clerks.

The case was investigated by state and federal authorities. City Councilwoman Barbara Swearengen Ware has been indicted on state charges in a car tags case, but the indictment has not been publicly released while she is in the hospital so it is not clear what she allegedly did.