Tulsa Restaurant Owner Sentenced To 1 Year Probation In Larceny Case

The owner of Tally’s Good Food Café has been sentenced to one year of probation after prosecutors say he stole nearly $8,000 worth of goods from Sam's Club.

Talal Alame was also ordered to reimburse Sam's, after he pled guilty last month.

Alame's attorneys say Alame admits he didn't pay for the items in question and owes Sam’s Club money but doesn't admit to willfully stealing from the store. Prosecutors argued this was not just a mistake; it was a crime.

Prosecutors Alame didn't pay for several items during several shopping trips while using the self-checkout app at Sam's, from the fall of 2022 to March of 2023, for a total of $7,800 worth of goods. The store reported that Alame selected large amounts of items but only scanned and paid for a few at a time. Alame's attorney, Brett Swab, says this was all an issue with the Sam's Club scan and go app, not a matter of Alame intentionally stealing.

"From day one we've just wanted the money to be paid back. That's what our client wanted and nothing else. We just wanted to be treated fair, and I think throughout this process he hasn't been by the state,” said Swab.

An assistant manager at Sam's testified Alame showed up to the store shortly after Alame's arrest and offered to pay back the money. Prosecutors say Alame also hand-delivered cinnamon rolls to the district attorney's office. Prosecutors argued Alame did this because he wanted to make it all go away.

"We weren't surprised. Throughout this whole case, the state has acted frankly very childish. You could tell in the courtroom they were bringing up factors that have no relevance,” said Swab.

The Tulsa County District Attorney's office released a statement saying: “Talal Alame admitted to stealing nearly $8,000 worth of merchandise from Sam’s Club. 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.”

Alame's attorney's says Tally's has lost a lot of business since the arrest.

"I would encourage Tulsans to continue to support Tally. He's been a member of this community for decades. He's given back during holidays. He's employed countless people. He really does care about this community,” said Alame’s attorney, Jay Swab.

Alame is also banned from shopping at Sam's during his probation. He's ordered to pay back the money within 30 days. If he doesn't get into any trouble over the next year, Alame can have the conviction removed from his record.