EL DORADO, Arkansas (From news reports) -- A former Georgia-Pacific worker was sentenced Thursday to 68 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of money laundering.

Kenneth Elser, United States attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, said that Kenneth W. Atkins, 56, of Crossett, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $456,000.

Federal Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court.

Atkins was found guilty in October 2015 after a seven day jury trial. According to evidence presented in the trial, from on or about January 2011 through on or about March 2012, Atkins conspired with another person to commit wire fraud against Georgia Pacific.

The indictment against Atkins said that he and a scale operator at the Georgia Pacific paper mill in Crossett worked together from January 2011 through March 29, 2012 to manipulate the Georgia Pacific scale house computer to make it appear that a pulpwood load had been delivered to the paper mill on behalf of Atkins when in fact, no such load had been delivered.

The result was that fraudulent scale information was sent via interstate wire transmission from Ashley County to Georgia. This caused Georgia Pacific to credit Atkins for the non-existent pulpwood loads as if they were real pulpwood loads. According to evidence presented at trial, 570 fraudulent scale tickets were submitted which resulted in a $459,791.73 loss to Georgia Pacific.

The case was investigated by United States Secret Service, the Arkansas State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ross and Benjamin Wulff prosecuted the case for the United States.

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