A 27-year-old California man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for a scheme to steal from Walmart stores across the country using a cash register master key.
Jabaree Mabrey also was ordered to pay $690,484 in restitution along with his co-defendant.
Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced him Thursday in U.S. District Court in Lincoln to five years and four months' imprisonment for fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device, followed by three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr said his co-defendant, Marlon Tigner, was arrested in Nebraska after a traffic stop on Interstate 80 near the Lincoln Airport exit on Jan. 25, 2023, turned up a pound of marijuana and two vacuum-sealed bags containing about 300 MDMA pills.
She said Walmart master keys were found on him, and he was identified as a suspect in the nationwide thefts. Further investigation led to Mabrey, his accomplice, who was arrested four months later.
Lehr said Tigner and Mabrey had come into possession of a universal master key to all Walmart registers, meant to be accessible only to managers and front-end supervisors, and used it to steal from Walmart stores spanning from Washington state to Massachusetts and from Texas to Wisconsin over the past few years.
Law enforcement confirmed they had used the keys to steal from several Omaha Walmart stores.
Tigner ultimately got 10 to 15 years in state prison on the drug charges, plus five years and 11 months in federal prison for the fraud.
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Top Journal Star photos for September 2024
Members of the UNL Army ROTC's Big Red Battalion climb the steps of Memorial Stadium during a silent stair climb in remembrance of those lost in the 9/11 attacks on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Lincoln.
Starting at 6:00 a.m., various members of the branches of UNL ROTC, first responders in the surrounding Lancaster areas, and former military members began a silent stair climb workout that involves climbing 2,071 steps, or about 110 flights of stairs. This was the number of stairs that were present at the World Trade Center, which first responders climbed in an effort to rescue people from the towers. The cadets only count the stairs going up, not down. Representing those first responders who never got a chance to descend safely.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln East's Raheem Popoola (13) leads his team out onto the field before the game against Grand Island on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, at Seacrest Field.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Nebraska's Harper Murray (27) embraces Bergen Reilly (2) after scoring a kill against Creighton in the first set on Tuesday at the Devaney Sports Center.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska's Tommi Hill (6) celebrates a pick-six during the first quarter of the game against Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Nebraska's Jacory Barney (17) celebrates as fans rush the field after the game on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Terence "Bud" Crawford (center) takes the field next to Nebraska's Dylan Raiola (left) and Mikai Gbayor on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Nebraska fans storm the field after winning the game against Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska won 28-10.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Police investigate the scene of a shooting Sunday in downtown Lincoln near 11th and P streets where one man was killed and another man was injured.Â
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
While teammate Dante Dowdell (23) celebrates a touchdown with his teammates, quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) reacts toward the home sideline in the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (23) is tackled by Colorado's Shilo Sanders (21) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Wahoo players pray in the locker room ahead of their match against Ashland-Greenwood on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at Wahoo High School.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln Southeast's Zayvion Campbell (left), Lincoln Southwest's Nathan Mensah (center) and Southeast's Mason Mehta (right) dive after the ball in the end zone during the second quarter on Friday at Seacrest Field. The play resulted in a Lincoln Southwest touchback.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Ian Plumlee, of Lincoln, dances with his daughter, Josephine, 4, as Sandy Creek Pickers performs during the Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, on Nebraska Innovation Campus.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Jeff Gold speaks after being installed as the University of Nebraska's ninth president during an investiture ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Junior Dylan Zephier (center) dances with senior Jordyn Guse next to senior Helina Cooper (back left) and freshman Liam Hoffschneider during a Unified music class, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at East High School.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Nebraska's Dylan Raiola walks in the Legacy Walk on Saturday outside Memorial Stadium.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
A great blue heron perches on a rock in the shallow water of Holmes Lake on Tuesday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska's Leyla Blackwell (11) throws a volleyball into the stands before the match against TCU on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
The Huskers run on to the field to kickoff the game against UTEP on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Nebraska's MJ Sherman (48) sacks UTEP's Skyler Locklear (9) during the first quarter of the UTEP game on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Norfolk Catholic players line up on the field before during the game against Bishop Neumann on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, at Bishop Neumann in Wahoo.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Nebraska's Isaiah Neyor (18) catches a 59-yard touchdown pass while defended by UTEP's Jaylon Shelton (9) in the second quarter, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Nebraska's Bergen Reilly (2) watches a husker light show as a highlight reel of last year plays before the match on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
New University of Nebraska-Lincoln students run out onto the field during the tunnel walk tradition at Memorial Stadium on Friday.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Lincoln Christian's Truman Paulsen holds the Spirit Sword after defeating Lincoln Lutheran on Friday at Aldrich Field.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Framed through a children's play set, Jordyn Anderson, 3, pushes her friend Jordan Lara, 4, in a Cozy Coupe toy at the playground outside at Las Abejitas' location at First Lutheran Church on Friday. Las Abejitas, one of only two bilingual child care centers in Lincoln, is opening a second location at First-Plymouth Church in September.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Waverly celebrates after defeating Lincoln Lutheran in five sets Thursday at Lincoln Lutheran High School.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Thursday afternoon's football game between Lincoln East and Elkhorn South was postponed due to weather. The teams will make up the game Friday at Seacrest Field.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln East's Deacon Gehle (from left) and Presley Hall practice passing back anf forth while waiting out a rain delay at Seacrest Field on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
From left, U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer, Pete Ricketts, 3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith, 1st District Congressman Mike Flood and 2nd District Congressman Don Bacon attended the annual summit hosted by the Nebraska, Omaha and Lincoln chambers of commerce on Thursday at Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Runners, including Tyler Pooschke (first left) and Mak Krause (right) are led by run lead Trevor White (first right) as they take off along the Billy Wolff Trail for the first-ever run held by the Telegraph Run Club on Wednesday. The new run club is meant to be a welcoming, open and free to any who wishes to join.
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Nebraska's Nash Hutmacher hands a football back to Henry Erikson of Beatrice, 8, and Brent Erikson during football fan day, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, at Hawks Championship Center.
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On Twitter @LJSpilger
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