A sister and brother from Willoughby were indicted for a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja.

Natasha D. Lewis, 28, and Bennett M. Lewis, 26, were indicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

Natasha D. Lewis worked as a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. She exchanged messages with Bennett M. Lewis regarding addresses to which packages containing marijuana could be sent. This took place between December 2015 through January 2017, according to the indictment.

Bennett M. Lewis then arranged for marijuana shipments to be sent via the United States Postal Service to those addresses. Natasha D. Lewis intercepted those packages and delivered them directly to Bennett M. Lewis. After the marijuana was sold, both defendants shared in the proceeds, according to the indictment.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the Defendant’s role in the offenses and the unique characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Kall. The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Cleveland, Ohio, and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.