Denver, Colorado - Two funeral home operators have been sentenced to prison time after they illegally sold off hundreds of body parts without consent.

What if you got cremated remains back that weren't from your loved ones? Some families were duped by a plot where this likely happened at a funeral home in Montrose, Colorado.

The US Attorney's Office revealed in a statement that Judge Christine M. Arguell sentenced Megan Hess (46) on Tuesday to 20 years in prison.

Hess' mother, Shirley Koch (69), was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for aiding and abetting the scheme.

The duo served as directors at the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home. Between 2010 and 2018, they allegedly met with clients interested in cremation services, but misled them – as they had different plans for the bodies.

"During those meetings, the defendant and others would represent to the victims that Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors would cremate decedents and provide their cremated remains back to the families," the Attorney's Office explained.

"Instead, the defendant and others would harvest body parts from, or prepare the entire bodies of, the decedents for sale in body broker services."

In some cases, they forged documents to complete sales of the body parts, such as for those who died of infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B and C, and HIV.

They also delivered the bodies to their clients "with the representation that the cremains were that of the deceased when, frequently, that was not the case."

Judge Christine Arguello reportedly described the case as "the most emotionally draining case I have ever experienced on the bench" before issuing the sentences.