A Greenwood man is facing federal charges after prosecutors said he took more than $2.7 million from his former employer.
Troy L. Sissom, 52, was charged with mail fraud and making a false tax return. He could face up to 20 years in prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Internal theft costs all consumers through higher prices on goods and services,” United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler said in the release. “Fraud, tax evasion and other white-collar crimes are offenses which ultimately take money out of the pockets of hard-working Hoosiers and such crimes will be aggressively prosecuted by this office.”
James Voyles, Sissom’s attorney, declined to comment.
Sissom worked for F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. in Indianapolis as a project manager. His job duties included doing estimates for jobs, overseeing construction projects and approving the purchase of materials for projects, the release said.
In 2003, investigators found that Sissom created a company, called LTEE Source, and rented a post office box in that company’s name. Between 2003 and 2015, investigators said Sissom created false invoices from LTEE Source and submitted them to his employer to be paid. The invoices were supposed to be for materials for construction projects Sissom was overseeing, the release said.
The checks were mailed to the post office box Sissom opened and deposited into an account for the company he created, the release said.
Investigators found F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. lost more than $2.7 million. The IRS also lost $381,000 in taxes, the release said.
The company is fine, F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. president Philip Kenney said. He declined to comment further.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
In addition to prison time, Sissom also would be required to repay Wilhelm Construction and the unpaid taxes, the release said.
“Tax evasion is not a victimless crime,” Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation James D. Robnett said in the release. “When people cheat on their taxes, honest taxpayers suffer the consequences and have to make up the difference. We should not expect the honest American taxpayer to foot the bill for Mr. Sissom and others who hide income from the IRS.”
