DENVER -- A mother and daughter team who had a horse-breeding business in Colorado was sentenced to prison stealing seven horses from Kansas and Utah, the Colorado Attorney General's office said Friday.

Donja Vaughn and her mother, Sharon Vaughn, were accused of stealing horses in 2000 and 2002. A grand jury indicted them on charges of theft, theft of animals, forgery, attempt to influence a public servant and conspiracy. The attorney general later filed additional counts of perjury, forgery, tampering with physical evidence, and defrauding a secured creditor.

Donja Vaughn was convicted at trial of theft of certain animals, forgery, defrauding a secured creditor, tampering with physical evidence, perjury, attempting to influence a public official and conspiracy. Sharon Vaughn pleaded guilty to perjury.

On July 13, an El Paso District judge sentenced Donja Vaughn to 12 years in state prison and sentenced Sharon Vaughn to 3 years in in prison.

Donja Vaughn was on probation in Jefferson County when she committed some of the crimes, Attorney General's Office said.

In addition to these criminal acts, Donja Vaughn and Sharon Vaughn have been convicted of theft in Montezuma County for staging a robbery of the Southwest Colorado Federal Credit Union. Sharon Vaughn pleaded guilty to theft and Donja Vaughn was convicted by a jury on May 10 of theft and conspiracy to commit theft. Sentencing in that matter is set for July 20.

"This case indicates that Colorado still takes horse thievery very seriously. We're please the court believed the defendants' actions merited serious punishment," said Attorney General John Suthers.