The wheels of justice turn quickly in the sleepy farm town of Valentine, Nebraska. It wasn’t but two weeks ago when we reported the capture of the mysterious “Butt Bandit.”  Thomas Larvie, 35, was accused of the heinous act of greasing up his ass with petroleum jelly and pressing it against windows and buildings around town, leaving his trademark rump design imprinted on the surfaces. Larvie’s 3-year crime spree left local residents living in a perpetual state of fear.

Now, after a Cherry County jury convicted him of several counts of public indecency and disturbing the peace, Judge Warren G. Boyd gave Larvie the maximum sentence of 7 years in the state penitentiary, with the possibility of parole after about two and a half years. The judge admonished Larvie, and warned him to be on his best behavior while serving out his term, stating “Your ass is mine.”

After his sentence was handed down, Larvie was asked by reporters how he plans to cope with life behind bars.

“I guess I won’t be getting my booty lathered up with Vaseline any more,” responded Larvie, as he was being led away in shackles. “Not voluntarily, anyway.”

Local merchants are now capitalizing on the publicity, selling “Free the Butt-Bandit” t-shirts, coffee mugs and other souvenirs in their stores and online. A line of “CSI: Nebraska” t-shirts and other apparel is in the making and expected in stores soon.