BEATRICE – A 40-year-old Fairbury man will serve a three-year-probation term for drug possession.  Gary Ingrao was sentenced in Gage County District Court Wednesday, awaiting resolution of a second case in district court.


District Judge Rick Schreiner said the defendant has logged a significant prior record…including a carjacking conviction in California that resulted in a five-year prison term….plus other violations in Las Vegas.


"When you got out, in Las Vegas you had possession of a stolen vehicle. You were sentenced to state prison on that. In 2010, you had fifteen charges, all felonies, filed against you, again in Las Vegas. All but one of those counts, burglary, were dismissed. You did 24 to 120 months in the Department of Corrections. It looks like maybe concurrent to that, you did 24 to 60 months for grand larceny."


Ingrao also had past sentences in Nebraska in Jefferson County. He asked the judge to give him a chance on probation, including treatment.


"Mr. Ingrao, I'm going to give you a chance to do something other than mouth empty words to get yourself out of jail. Understanding that you still have a case in front of this court to resolve. So, I'm going to see you and I'm going to know how you're doing on probation. And, I'm going to know whether or not you just fed me a line, or you really want to change. And, if you fed me a line, I don't think I have to tell you what's gonna happen later," said Schreiner.


Part of the probation term includes payment of $200 in court costs. Ingrao is set to face arraignment February 4th in Gage County District Court on two counts of drug distribution, possession of drug money and driving under suspension.


In a separate case Wednesday, 29-year-old Nathan Vanwey was sentenced to a three-year-probation term for attempt of a felony, involving a Sex Offender Registry Act violation. He was also ordered to pay court costs of $148.

Vanwey is under a lifetime registration requirement for a Buffalo County conviction of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a minor and a Lancaster County conviction for child abuse…both from 2011.