NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — A Virginia woman who faked her own death in connection with an elaborate fraud scheme has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Fifty-year-old Alexandra Hatcher of Portsmouth pleaded guilty last year in federal court in Newport News. Her husband, Albert Hatcher Jr., also pleaded guilty and received a four-year sentence at a hearing last month.

Her lawyers requested she receive a lesser sentence than her husband, citing psychological issues.

Authorities say the couple conspired to collect on life insurance policies, submitting false death claims on at least two policies. Prosecutors say the scheme included creating fake death certificates and publishing a death notice in a newspaper.

Prosecutors say that after insurers denied their claims, the Hatchers fraudulently obtained at least 20 luxury vehicles with bogus checks.