TULSA, Okla. — Tally's Cafe owner Talal Jamil Alame was sentenced to one year probation after entering a blind plea for stealing nearly $8,000 worth of merchandise from Sam's Club.
He was arrested and charged with six counts of larceny in July 2023.
Four of those charges are misdemeanors for stealing under $1,000, while the other two are felonies. In total, court documents said the charges stem from 19 separate incidents at different Sam's Clubs.
According to the affidavit, Alame used the Sam's Club app's Scan and Go feature at stores in Owasso and Tulsa, scanning a few items and leaving the rest unscanned.
He walked out of the store with multiple items that he did not purchase, court documents said. Store officials started investigating and involved police when employees said it appeared Alame had more items in his cart than on his receipt.
2 News spoke with Alame in July, when he claimed the charges were due to misscanning.
On Feb. 8, he entered a blind plea, meaning he pleaded guilty, and the judge determined his sentence.
On March 4, Tally was sentenced to one year of probation with a deferred sentence. He is also banned from returning to any Sam's Club and will have to pay back the nearly $8,000 in 30 days.
“Talal Alame admitted to stealing nearly $8,000 worth of merchandise from Sam’s Club," said a spokesperson for the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office. "Today, a judge ordered that he pay back that money and is banned from Sam’s Club as a condition of his probation. It’s important to hold accountable those who think they can beat the system. Stealing nearly $8,000 worth of merchandise is not a mistake, it is a crime.”
The state offered Alame a four-year deferred sentence but instead chose the blind plea.
Alame purchased the restaurant Tally's in 1987.
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