COEUR d'ALENE - The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday said a 49-year-old Coeur d'Alene man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana.

James R. O'Neill also was sentenced to 15 years for conspiracy to launder money, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson said. U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge ordered that the sentences be served concurrently.

O'Neill is to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term, pay $5,000 in fines, and forfeit more than $100,000 in cash and property to the U.S. government.

O'Neill pleaded guilty to the charges in October.

At his plea hearing, O'Neill admitted that between 2000 and 2010, he and five others, including his wife, Lecia O'Neill, conspired together to distribute cocaine and marijuana in North Idaho.

James O'Neill's arrest in May of last year followed the arrest of former Coeur d'Alene insurance agent Jerald S. Carlson on a cocaine-related charge. An Idaho State Police affidavit filed in 1st District Court said Carlson's arrest identified O'Neill as a cocaine trafficker.

O'Neill admitted to storing drugs at a "stash house" in Coeur d'Alene until they could be distributed.

At the stash house, he grew marijuana plants, which he later replanted on public lands.

During the course of the investigation by the Idaho State Police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, O'Neill sold cocaine to confidential informants on six occasions.

A financial investigation revealed that O'Neill didn't have sufficient legitimate income to support his expenditures, including his house, vehicles, travel, and other assets.

According to an affidavit filed by the DEA, O'Neill claimed he made a total of $3,060 as a roofer between 1998 and the second quarter of 2009.

The Press reported in May 2010, that law enforcement raided several homes and businesses related to his drug trafficking ring between Coeur d'Alene and the Tri-Cities, in south central Washington.

The former Chillers bar at 1920 E. Sherman Ave. was one of the businesses raided. The bar's owner was arrested for suspicion of using it as a location for drug transactions, according to the DEA affidavit.

Investigators determined that a significant portion of his income was derived from cocaine and marijuana sales. The DEA document said O'Neill distributed drugs to a "close-knit clientele" of friends and family in the area for 20 years.

During a six-year period, O'Neill and his wife deposited approximately $200,000 into their bank and investment accounts while claiming the $3,000 as their income.

Co-defendants Lecia D. O'Neill, Christopher B. McFarland, Steven J. McCabe, Debra L. Margraff, and Gary A. Votava have entered pleas related to these charges and are awaiting sentencing, according to a press release from Olson's office.

McFarland was the former owner of Chillers, and Votava owned a trailer which O'Neill used as a stash house.

The case was investigated by ISP, the DEA, and the Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force.