A Broward County couple who admitted they picked up bags of cash in local parking lots and laundered more than $2 million through their jewelry business for Mexican associates were sentenced recently.

Jed Ladin, 67, and Natalie Ladin, 63, of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, pleaded guilty last year to a money-laundering conspiracy charge. They admitted they used their jewelry and precious metals business, Golden Opportunities in Hallandale Beach, to illegally transfer cash to more than 20 people in Mexico.

Jed Ladin, 67 and Natalie Ladin, 63, of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, were sentenced for a money-laundering conspiracy that federal prosecutors said sent more than $2 million to Mexico. (Handout/Broward Sheriff's Office, Sun Sentinel)

The couple exchanged coded text messages with two men between October 2013 and January 2014. Using the words "invitations" to refer to cash and "marmol" — Spanish for marble — to refer to gold, they arranged to pick up bags of cash around South Florida. The men gave them lists of people who were to receive wire transfers from the money and the couple sent about 36 transactions, authorities said.

Jed Ladin was sentenced last week to three years in federal prison and must begin serving his time on July 31. U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom also ordered him to perform 500 hours of community service at Faith Farm Ministries addiction recovery program. He must also complete three years of probation.

Natalie Ladin was sentenced to one year of house arrest with electronic monitoring, followed by three years of probation. She must perform 500 hours of community service at Cooper City Church of God.

Her lawyers Ray Rasco and Robert Josefsberg said the judge's decision was based, in part, on her limited role in the offense and because she is the primary caregiver for her adult daughter, who has significant disabilities.

The couple must also pay more than $2 million in forfeiture to the government. They have already turned over more than $970,000 in cash, several properties they owned and precious metals seized from their business, court records show.

The couple's business was not doing well for some time and is no longer operating, the lawyers said.

Jed Ladin told investigators he met a client who said he was in the jewelry business in Mexico and the man later suggested he would bring cash to the couple that they would send on to Mexico in exchange for a 1 percent commission. Ladin admitted he was suspicious the bags of $20 bills were "derived from criminal activity" and admitted he discussed creating fake invoices to match the wire transfers. He said the men threatened him when he tried to stop sending money.

Ladin testified against one of the men who dropped off cash. The man was found not guilty after a criminal trial last year.

"They got involved for the added liquidity, not for any profit for themselves, which was almost non-existent. They were trying to save their company, and unlike most defendants, they voluntarily withdrew from the offense conduct well before it was discovered [by investigators]," Rasco said.