TULSA, OK—A former controller of a trucking dealership was sentenced on Thursday to serve 60 months for more than $1.5 million in bank fraud and tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney Danny C. Williams, Sr. for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The 60-month sentence is the maximum prison term for the tax evasion charge.

James Lamar Gresham, 52, of Tulsa, was sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James H. Payne for one count each of bank fraud and tax evasion. At the time of the scheme, Gresham worked as a controller for Frontier International Trucks where he had access to financial books and records and was familiar with the company’s bank accounts.

“This sentencing should be a clear message to everyone that tax evasion is a serious offense and carries serious consequences. All tax payers must report all of their income and pay all of the taxes owed to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Williams.

According to court documents, from July 30, 2007 to May 2011, as part of the scheme, Gresham would forge company checks made payable in his name and then deposit the checks into a personal bank account. Gresham forged more than 548 company checks and obtained $1,583,157.15 from the company’s bank accounts.

In addition, during the 2010 calendar year, Gresham failed to report the additional income gained from the scheme to the Internal Revenue Service. He evaded paying a total of $511,627 in taxes owed to the United States.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Gallant on behalf of the United States.