GERING, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska man convicted of stealing more than $580,000 worth of gas from his former employer has been sent to prison.

Thirty-eight-year-old Ron Walker, of Mitchell, had pleaded no contest and was convicted of theft and fraudulent tax filing. Court records say that on Thursday in Scotts Bluff County District Court in Gering, Walker was sentenced to five to eight years for theft and a year for the tax conviction. They’re to be served at the same time.

Walker is a former employee for Western Cooperative Co., also known as Westco. Prosecutors say he sold gasoline under fictitious contracts to customers. Records indicate more than $580,000 was deposited into his personal checking and savings accounts since 2010.